French PM brings forward hike in minimum wage to calm protesters

The announcement was expected. France's minimum wage is set to rise from the 1st of December to 1,502 euros net per month, the second increase of 2026. And that means by the end of 2026, the minimum wage will have risen by 5.3%. That's a significant increase. This translates to an additional 75 euros net for 2026. The raise falls far short, though, of the expectations set by trade unions. The government has offered us crumbs. It's announced a 23 euro increase in the minimum wage from December 1st, even though we know the minimum wage should automatically rise by 18 euros on January 1st. 18 euros on the 1st of January. Employers, on the other hand, are demanding a quid pro quo, because this pay rise will have consequences. This owner of a small landscaping business has one employee. He was planning to take on a second on minimum wage, but now says he can't afford it. So, I'm coming. Either I manage to charge more for my services, but I'm not quite sure how I'm going to manage that when I'm just starting out, or I'll have to put off hiring my second employee for a month or so. A month or two. Whilst not on minimum wage himself, his employee hopes this rise will have a knock-on effect on his own salary. If my boss can't give me a pay rise too, it will narrow the gap between someone who doesn't necessarily have a qualification and someone like me who's qualified and can expect a higher salary. The government is calling on all sectors to negotiate pay rises and is announcing further measures to boost spending power, such as an increase in the fuel allowance.