Attal announces a decree for the reform of unemployment insurance by July 1

“A decree will be taken by July 1 for this reform which remains on parameters which are those which were put in place during the 2019 reform, and which above all are accompanied by better support for the unemployed towards the return to employment,” said the head of government.

“It’s a reform which consists of saying, you will have to work eight months out of the last 20 months to receive unemployment” (compared to six months out of 24 months until now, Editor’s note), he explained.

On Wednesday, Emmanuel Macron said he supported the reform of unemployment insurance, while ensuring he was open about the “modalities”.

A draft government decree is currently being examined by the Council of State for a reform which tightens access to compensation.

According to this decree, the duration of compensation will also be reduced, to 15 months for unemployed people under 57, compared to 18 months for those under 53 today.

The unions are up in arms against this reform which comes on top of those of 2021 and 2023: they fear increased precariousness of the unemployed, particularly among young people and seniors. Conversely, employers' organizations are in favor of the reform.

For the government, the aim of the reform is to encourage people to return to work, reduce unemployment insurance debt (the debt of which amounts to 58 billion euros) and better finance support for job seekers. by France Travail thanks to the surpluses that Unédic now generates, the Ministry of Labor explains.