Senior open-ended contract (CDI senior): what is this new scheme?
22 October 2025 · 4 min reading time
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See job offersThe Senior Open-Ended Contract (CDI senior), or experience-enhancement contract, was definitively approved by members of Parliament on October 15, 2025, after being validated by the Senate over the summer. This new type of employment contract is part of the Full Employment bill led by the Ministry of Labour and aims to encourage the hiring of workers aged 60 and over.
Piloted over five years, the scheme is designed to meet a dual objective: boost the employment rate of seniors in France and support the pension reform, which raised the legal retirement age to 64. By offering stable employment through to a full pension, this contract seeks to put experienced employees back at the heart of the labour market.
According to the Minister of Labour, it is above all a “confidence tool,” able to strengthen the motivation of people over 60 to remain active while addressing the needs of companies facing labour shortages. It now remains to be seen whether implementation will meet the inclusion and knowledge-transfer goals set by the government.
A senior employment rate still too low in France
In France, the employment rate for seniors remains one of the lowest in Europe, despite successive reforms aimed at extending working life. According to DARES, only 57% of 55–64-year-olds were still employed in 2025, compared with more than 70% in Germany and Sweden. The situation is even more concerning for 60–64-year-olds, with barely a third in work. At the other end, many 57-year-olds face job loss that is hard to recover from, as companies remain hesitant to invest in experienced employees nearing retirement.
This vulnerability stems from several factors: work strain, more frequent sick leave, limited access to training, and an incomplete culture of inclusion within companies. Many seniors see their careers stall in their fifties, followed by early exits or forced reorientation. The result is a steadily rising unemployment rate among over-60s, exacerbated by the pension reform that raised the legal retirement age to 64.
To reverse this trend, the government introduced the CDI senior, a new contract designed to value experience and keep employees aged 60 and over in work until they reach a full pension. By encouraging the hiring of seniors, it also aims to strengthen inclusion in the labour market, both a social and economic priority for the years ahead.
What is the CDI Senior?
The CDI senior (experience-enhancement contract) is built on the foundations of a standard open-ended contract, with one key feature: it ends automatically when the employee reaches their full pension. It primarily targets jobseekers aged 60 and over, offering stability up to their actual retirement while securing the end of their career.
For employers, the legal framework remains unchanged: probation period, pay, training, and termination options still follow the Labour Code. The benefits, however, are twofold: capitalising on the experience of seasoned profiles and organising knowledge transfer within teams, areas where operational needs are often pressing.
Note: The scheme is also included in the 2026 budget, with dedicated funds for the Ministry of Labour to support the hiring of seniors (coaching, targeted incentives, training actions), in order to strengthen inclusion within companies and give this new contract every chance of success.
Conditions for accessing the CDI Senior
The CDI senior is aimed first at jobseekers aged 60 and over who have not yet validated all their quarters for a full pension. The idea is simple: provide a stable trajectory up to actual retirement, without chaining together short-term contracts at the end of a career.
For employees
Eligibility requires being at least 60 at the time of signing, being registered with France Travail, and not yet meeting full-pension conditions. Openings from age 57 could be allowed by sector-level agreements; this point will depend on implementing texts.
For employers
All companies, regardless of sector, can use the CDI senior. The contract must specify that it is an experience-enhancement contract, concluded as part of the pilot. Financial incentives (exemptions, targeted aid) have been floated by the government, but exact terms will be set by decree. In other words: the principle is confirmed, the details are still to be defined.
Duration and end of the contract
The CDI senior is an open-ended contract under the Labour Code. It can therefore end under the usual cases (resignation, mutual termination, dismissal). Its specificity lies in its natural term: the contract ends automatically when the employee reaches a full pension. This structure provides visibility for both parties while aligning with new rules to keep people over 60 in work.
CDI Senior: promises, Limits, and early criticisms
Presented as one of the flagship measures of the Full Employment law, the CDI senior reflects the government’s intention to better integrate over-60s into the economy. The initiative raises real expectations among employees and employers alike, but its real-world impact is already being debated.
Promises of the scheme
For seniors, this contract offers a stable framework after a period of unemployment: a return to long-term employment, maintenance of living standards, and continued contributions through to a full pension. Rights are those of a standard open-ended contract (leave, training, social protection), ending the string of short contracts that often undermines late-career stability.
For companies, the benefits are clear: leveraging experience, organising knowledge transfer, and, in the short term, easing certain labour shortages in technical or industrial roles. Several employer organisations welcome a pragmatic measure likely to deliver immediate operational benefits.
Limits and early criticisms
The CDI senior is divisive. Its five-year experimental nature raises questions about the scheme’s true reach. Implementation details, particularly any contribution exemptions, are not yet final and will heavily influence employer appetite.
From the trade unions’ side, there is concern about creating a “separate contract,” risking reinforcing age-based stigma rather than reducing it. More broadly, many point out that the CDI senior does not address the root causes of disengagement: work strain, complex retraining, and insufficient job adaptation. Without acting on these levers, keeping over-60s in employment will remain challenging.
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