Unédic managers alert François Bayrou about the organization's finances

Unédic managers are worried about the finances of the organization which manages the unemployment insurance system, due to a lack of budget for 2025, in a letter sent Monday to Prime Minister François Bayrou and consulted by AFP. In this letter initially revealed by The Worldthe president of the joint organization Jean-Eudes Tesson (Medef) and the vice-president Patricia Ferrand (CFDT) say they “very concerned about the financial sustainability of the regime”.

Assuring that they have been unanimously mandated by the members of the Unédic office, they recall in particular that the State gives its guarantee each year for loans for an amount defined in finance laws. “The finance bill for 2025 initially provided for the granting of the State guarantee to the tune of 4 billion euros, and the postponement of this bill puts the regime in difficulty”write the representatives of the organization, whose debt would reach “44.3 billion in 2027”according to the latest forecasts.

“Adjustment variable”

They also recall the impact of State decisions on the regime's accounts, its revenues being affected by “several exogenous decisions” implemented between 2018 and 2023, such as the increase in funding for France Travail (from 10 to 11% of revenue). “The social partners are aware of the current economic difficulties and the need to act responsibly”but, they say, “we regret to note that unemployment insurance has become a form of adjustment variable for state budgets”.

The mail requests a “consultation” fast for “restore sustainable funding for the unemployment insurance system” et “remedy the direct consequences of state decisions”. Unédic is struggling to repay its debt, which still includes the Covid debt, when the organization had taken charge of emergency measures to support the labor market to the tune of 18.1 billion. But the joint body's accounts are in surplus, with the latest forecasts forecasting a surplus of 300 million euros in 2024.