France raises minimum wage 1.6% from 1 December, bringing forward January increase

The announcement

France's labour minister, Jean-Pierre Farandou, told a press conference on Monday, 9 November 2026, that the statutory minimum wage (Smic) will rise by 1.6% from 1 December. The government is bringing forward an automatic adjustment that was due on 1 January. Farandou spoke at Matignon after a social conference with trade unions and employers' organisations. Earlier in November he had left open the option of an earlier adjustment, and on Monday he set out the decision in two parts: an earlier start date and a higher rate.

“On the minimum wage, we are deciding two things: we are deciding to bring the increase forward to 1 December and we are deciding to raise this increase to 1.6%.”

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu attended the same press conference and defended the measure. The timeline below shows the two dates that matter most for employers and workers.

What the rise means for pay

The minimum wage currently stands at 1,477.93 euros net, and the new level is put at about 1,502 euros net. Le Soir reported a gain of about 24 euros a month, while BFMTV cited a gain of 75 euros net, a figure that does not match the other estimates. Under the existing rules the Smic is adjusted every 1 January and can also rise during the year when consumer prices have climbed at least 2% since the previous adjustment. The government can additionally decide on an extra increase at any time. Lecornu called the rise the second-largest in 20 years and said it was not merely symbolic.

Current1,477.93

From 1 December 20261,502

Current

1477.93 euros net per month

From 1 December 2026

1502 euros net per month

Data from the article text

Unions and the wider debate

Unions say the measure is not enough. The CFDT, which Skai describes as France's largest trade union organisation, wants an additional 100 euros net a month. The CGT demands a 10% increase, about 150 euros, and the head of the CGT warned that a limited adjustment will not calm public anger. The announcement follows weeks of protests that began in September among French secondary school pupils and widened into grievances over living costs and public services. Lecornu met employer and union representatives on Monday in an effort to ease social discontent.

“This revaluation has been documented so that it is not a source of job destruction.”

The government has limited room for manoeuvre because public debt is under strain. Farandou has said he wants the minimum wage to exceed 1,500 euros net, provided the increase does not weigh on employment.

Sector talks and next steps

Farandou asked employers' sector bodies to open negotiations quickly, in the week of 16 November 2026, to lift sector minimum wages that remain below the new Smic. The unions' complaint focuses on those industry-level minima. The national rate takes effect on 1 December 2026, a month before the automatic adjustment on 1 January would have applied. Farandou said the sector talks should take account of the new Smic when setting their minima.