ARE allocation chômage in France 2026 — SJR formula, durations, telework reform

• 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

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.

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.

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.

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.