An analysis of the time spent unemployed following mass redundancies when companies close shows that French employees made redundant in this way have a higher probability of finding a new job immediately than those who have left their employers for other reasons. Likewise, among the employees who are unemployed for a period following their departure, those axed in a mass redundancy find a new job more quickly than those who have lost their job for other reasons: 13 months unemployed on average as opposed to 16 months for men who have lost their job for other reasons. Among the women, these lengths are 16 months and 20 months respectively. Employees with the longest seniority in the company before their departure find it harder to find a new job. However, a high level of education makes it easier to find a new job regardless of the reason for the departure.