As has been described in other countries, this synthesis of studies conducted in the Constances cohort shows that unemployed French individuals, on average, engage in more risky behaviors, have poorer physical and mental health, suffer from more chronic diseases, and die earlier than employed individuals. These are long-term effects that depend on the degree of exposure to unemployment over the course of a person’s life and are compounded by factors related to working conditions throughout one’s career and overall social status.