Self-employed and unemployment: can you combine both statuses?

Prior status before self-employment and rechargeable rights

To receive unemployment benefits as a self-employed person, it is essential to have previously engaged in salaried work, justifying the opening of rights. You must have held a salaried position, generally in a permanent contract, for at least 5 years within the last 60 months. This period of work allows you to build rights to unemployment compensation, known as "rechargeable rights," which you can activate even after starting your independent activity.

If you resign to create a micro-enterprise, these conditions must be met and validated by a commission. This commission evaluates the real and serious nature of your entrepreneurial project to allow you to benefit from the allocation of aid for returning to employment (ARE).

Good to know: If you are considering a conventional termination before creating your self-employment, it is essential to understand its implications on your unemployment rights. Discover our complete guide on conventional termination and unemployment to best anticipate your transition to entrepreneurship.

Specific conditions related to independent activity

The self-employment regime, designed to simplify the management of an activity, allows you to offer services or sell products while remaining registered as a job seeker. However, regulations require a monthly update of your situation with France Travail, including the declaration of your revenue. Depending on whether you created your activity before or after being unemployed, you may either maintain your rights or benefit from a scheme like the Allocation for Independent Workers (ATI) if your income remains modest.

Furthermore, to continue your activity, you must regularly declare your revenue within the micro-enterprise regime. Note: exceeding income thresholds may lead to a reduction or suspension of your rights to benefits.

Impact of self-employment income on the right to benefits

The income from your self-employment directly influences the amount of unemployment benefits you receive. To retain all or part of your rights, the total of your ARE benefits and the income generated by your independent activity must not exceed your daily reference salary.

The amount paid is adjusted based on your monthly revenue declaration. This requires constant transparency and rigor. If your income exceeds the established thresholds, your rights may be suspended. Additionally, some self-employed individuals choose the withholding tax payment option, which can impact the overall management of their income and social benefits.

It is therefore essential to carefully assess the impact of your micro-enterprise income on your unemployment benefits, especially in cases of combining ARE and independent activity.

Partial combination: unemployment benefits and self-employment income

As a self-employed person, it is possible to combine independent activity with part of your unemployment benefits. However, this combination is partial and subject to strict rules. Since April 1, 2025, the ARE (Allocation for Returning to Employment) is paid monthly on a fixed basis of 30 days, with a combination limited to 60% of the remaining rights.

Specifically, if you generate income through your self-employment, this income will automatically reduce the amount of your benefits. The more your revenue increases, the less you will receive in unemployment benefits. The calculation takes into account 70% of your net income after applying the standard deduction, which directly impacts the total amount of ARE you are entitled to.

Income calculation and declaration: procedures to follow

To manage your unemployment benefits, it is imperative to declare your revenue to URSSAF every month or quarter, even if you have not generated any income. This declaration is then transmitted to France Travail to update your status as a beneficiary.

At the same time, you must update your situation online each month to report your activity, your revenue, and the number of hours worked. France Travail applies a deduction to determine the net income considered in the calculation of your rights, then adjusts your benefits based on the declared income. Benefits are paid in advance and are subject to regularization after receiving your actual declaration.

This regularization ensures that you receive the exact amount you are entitled to, taking into account your monthly income and your self-employment activity.

Presentation of ARCE and access conditions

The ARCE (Aid for Business Recovery or Creation) is a financial aid intended for self-employed and micro-entrepreneurs benefiting from ARE (Aid for Returning to Employment) and wishing to launch or resume an independent activity. Paid by France Travail, this aid takes the form of a capital corresponding to 60% of the remaining rights to be received under ARE. This capital is paid in two stages: a first payment at the start of the activity, and a second six months later, provided that the activity continues and that you do not have a full-time permanent job.

To benefit from ARCE, it is essential to have obtained ACRE (Aid for Business Creation or Recovery) and not to combine this aid with the partial maintenance of ARE. These conditions aim to provide stable financial support to successfully start your self-employment activity.

Comparison between ARCE and ARE (Aid for Returning to Employment)

ARE is a monthly allowance whose amount gradually decreases based on the income generated by your self-employment activity. It is suitable for those who wish to maintain a regular income while developing their independent activity. In contrast, ARCE offers immediate capital that can facilitate financing for the initial stages of creating or resuming a business, but leads to the suspension of regular ARE payments.

The choice between ARCE and the partial maintenance of ARE depends on your financial situation and your cash flow needs. ARCE provides quick financial support, while ARE allows you to benefit from a more spread-out income over time, in addition to the income generated by your micro-enterprise.

Wage portage: a secure alternative to micro-enterprise

For job seekers wishing to launch an activity while retaining complete social protection, wage portage constitutes an intermediate solution between salaried employment and entrepreneurship. Unlike the self-employed status, the ported professional benefits from a work contract with a wage portage, allowing them to contribute to unemployment insurance, retirement, and social security while maintaining autonomy in managing their assignments.

Wage portage is particularly interesting for qualified individuals (consultants, trainers, freelancers) wishing to invoice their services without having to create their own structure. It also allows, in some cases, to retain rights to ARE while engaging in an activity, provided that the generated income is declared and compatible with the existing regime.

Combining self-employment and wage portage is an alternative to consider if you are looking to test your activity without giving up the stability of salaried employment or entering the administrative complexity of a micro-enterprise.

As a self-employed person, you have the possibility to partially retain your unemployment rights, provided you meet the eligibility criteria related to your previous status and regularly declare your income. The combination of ARE benefits and the revenue generated by your micro-enterprise is feasible, but it remains regulated. This involves rigorous administrative management and careful monitoring.

Moreover, schemes like ARCE represent interesting solutions to finance your entrepreneurial project. We strongly recommend that you register with France Travail, correctly declare your activity, and take advantage of the available aids to maximize your chances of success in creating your business.