Unemployment: employment contract of the jobseeker registered with France Travail

In the 30 days at the latest, after being registered on the list of jobseekers, you must draw up a contract of employment (formerly known as a personalized job access project - PPAE) with your France Travail advisor.

The employment contract takes into account your training, qualifications, professional knowledge and skills, personal and family situation and local labor market situation.

Your employment contract shall contain all of the following information:

• Nature and characteristics of the job sought
• Preferred geographical area for the job sought
• Desired salary level.

Your employment contract specifies your rights regarding the acceptance or refusal of job offers and the remedies and deadlines for recourse in case of sanction.

Your employment contract also defines the actions that France Travail undertakes to implement (for example, training, professional retraining or of mobility aid).

The employment contract is available in your personal France Travail area under the heading « My project ».

Since January 2025, beneficiaries of the active solidarity income (RSA) are enrolled in France Travail and must also sign a contract of employment.

The job search obligation applies if you are considered a job seeker immediately available.

This is the case if you are in one of the following situations at the time of your registration at France Travail:

• You do not work, you do not take any vocational training and your personal situation allows you to work without delay
• You exercise (or have exercised the month preceding your registration with France Travail) an occasional or reduced activity not exceeding 78 hours per month
• You are in training for a total period not exceeding 40 hours or that allows you to take up a job simultaneously (for example, evening classes or correspondence courses)
• You are absent from your usual residence, after having notified France Travail, within the limit of 35 days by calendar year
• You are on sick leave or temporarily incapacitated for a period not exceeding 15 days
• You are incarcerated for a period not exceeding 15 days
• You are on paternity leave.

You must respond to written invitations from France Travail (interviews, information meetings, etc.).

Every month, you must update your situation.

You have to accomplish regular procedures job search as part of your employment contract.

You must be able to provide France Travail with a research justification, for example:

• Job searches by producing copies of your applications
• Employers' responses to your applications
• Your steps towards the creation or resumption of a company.

You must accept a so-called offer reasonable of employment, i.e. corresponding to your professional skills.

The constituent elements of a reasonable job offer shall be defined within 6 months from the signing of the contract of employment.

The reasonable offer of employment shall be determined on the basis of the following criteria:

• Your training, qualifications, professional knowledge and skills
• Your personal and family situation
• The situation of the local labor market
• The nature and characteristics of the job you are looking for (CDI, CDD, full or part-time)
• The geographical job search area defined within the national territory
• The expected salary.

You must accept any reasonable offer of employment that is made to you.

In case of refusal of 2 reasonable job offers without any legitimate reason on your part, you may be subject to a decision of delisting the list of job seekers, as well as a removal of your allowance if you are compensated.

Your employment contract must be updated periodically.

During this update, your France Travail advisor defines with you the elements constituting the reasonable job offer.