Resource article
ARE allocation chômage in France 2026 — SJR formula, durations, telework reform
France's ARE pays 57% of your SJR (salaire journalier de référence) for 18-27 months. Since the 2023 reform, durations are cut by 25% during low-unemployment periods. We explain the SJR calculation, the 'différé d'indemnisation', and how to handle a 'rupture conventionnelle'.
What you will learn
- How the SJR (salaire journalier de référence) is calculated
- Maximum duration: 18, 22.5 or 27 months
- Différé d'indemnisation: when payment is delayed
- Rupture conventionnelle: tax + ARE strategy
How the SJR (salaire journalier de référence) is calculated
France Travail looks at the last 24 months before your contract ended (36 months if you're 53+) and identifies your 'période de référence' — the days you actually worked in this window. The SJR is calculated as: total gross salary in the period ÷ (days worked × 1.4).
Daily ARE = max[(40.4% × SJR) + €13.18, 57% × SJR], capped at 75% × SJR. For most workers earning €2,000–€4,000/month gross, the 57% formula wins.
The reference period EXCLUDES periods of sick leave, parental leave, or partial activity, which protects workers whose recent earnings dropped due to these events.
Maximum duration: 18, 22.5 or 27 months
Base maximum duration depends on age at the contract end: 18 months for under 53, 22.5 months for 53-54, 27 months for 55+. You receive 1 day of ARE for each day you contributed (called 'aliment'), capped at the maximum duration.
Since February 2023, France Travail applies a 25% duration cut whenever the national unemployment rate stays below 9% for at least one quarter — so the 18-month max becomes 13.5 months. The cut reverses if unemployment rises above 9% for two consecutive quarters.
Workers age 55+ also receive a 'pre-retirement' bonus: ARE can be extended to age 67 if they exhaust the maximum duration without finding work, subject to specific contribution conditions.
Différé d'indemnisation: when payment is delayed
Even if you qualify, ARE doesn't start the day after your contract ends. There's always a 7-day 'délai d'attente' (waiting period). On top of that, if you received severance above the legal minimum, France Travail adds a 'différé d'indemnisation' equal to (severance bonus ÷ €100) days — capped at 75 days for redundancies, 150 for other cases.
Example: legal minimum severance is €5,000, you negotiated €15,000 in a rupture conventionnelle. Bonus = €10,000. Différé = 100 days = ~3.3 months without any income.
Plan your cash flow accordingly. The différé does NOT extend the maximum duration — it just delays the start.
Rupture conventionnelle: tax + ARE strategy
A rupture conventionnelle is the only way to leave a CDI voluntarily AND keep your ARE entitlement (provided you didn't initiate the resignation). The minimum severance is the legal indemnité de licenciement (1/4 month per year for first 10 years, 1/3 above).
Negotiation tip: high severance reduces your effective hourly rate during the différé. Sometimes a smaller severance + immediate ARE is cash-flow-better than a big severance + 100-day différé. Calculate both before signing.
The signed convention must be approved by the DREETS (formerly DIRECCTE) within 15 working days — and you have 15 calendar days to retract after signing. Use the retraction window if anything feels off.
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