France sets 40‑80% work‑hour rule for progressive retirement starting 2026

From 2026, France’s progressive retirement scheme will be open to workers who are at least 60 years old and have completed 150 quarters of contributions. Applicants must reduce their employment to between 40 % and 80 % of a full‑time contract – for private‑sector employees this corresponds to 14 to 28 hours per week on a 35‑hour schedule. The rule is rigid: working less than 40 % or more than 80 % leads to an automatic rejection by the pension authority, regardless of employer consent.

A second restriction concerns complementary hours. If an employee’s actual weekly hours, including legally allowed overtime, push the total above the 80 % threshold, the pension claim can also be denied. These requirements have contributed to a steep rise in beneficiaries, from 31,368 at the end of 2024 to 66,816 by mid‑2026, following the 2025 decree that lowered the minimum age to 60.