This article presents the evolution over generations of early-career acquired pension benefit entitlements. It draws on data from the 2005 DREES sample of data exchange between different pension schemes (échantillon interrégimes de cotisants). The author shows that entry into working life is both delayed, due to longer studies, and more gradual because of growing insertion difficulties related to rising unemployment. Thus, the age of the first validation of a quarter has increased by nearly three years between the 1950 generation and the 1974 generation. Concurrently, professional trajectories have become more and more discontinuous. As a result, the entitlements accumulated at age 30 have declined over generations, notably the quarters for which contributions were made and the retirement points earned in complementary schemes. The magnitude of this decline varies according to different categories of persons : a convergence is observed between men and women on the one hand, and according to the social category at age 30 on the other hand. Finally, the author points out that a person’s situation at that age determines, in part, his or her subsequent accumulation of pension rights.