Do periods of unemployment count for retirement?

As explained very simply the video on unemployment spellsHowever, the conditions are different depending on whether or not your periods of unemployment have been compensated.

Compensated unemployment

Unemployment periods that are compensated count towards the calculation of retirement: each period with 50 days of unemployment is treated as a quarter of Pension Insurance under the general social security scheme (up to a maximum of 4 quarters per year).

Unpaid unemployment

Special rules apply depending on whether the periods took place before or after 1980:

• Before 1980
  Each period of 50 days of unemployment shall be taken into account, up to a maximum of 4 quarters per year.
• After 1980
  Periods of unpaid unemployment may be treated as quarters of pension insurance under the general social security scheme. Beware, the first period of unemployment and the subsequent periods do not open up the same rights.