France's minimum wage rises 1.18% to €1,823 gross on 1 January 2026

On 1 January 2026, France's statutory minimum wage, the Smic (the legal wage floor for all employees), was revalued by about 1.18%. For a full-time 35-hour week it reached roughly €1,823 gross per month, or about €12.02 gross per hour.

The rise was the annual automatic indexation required by French law. The Smic is adjusted each year to track inflation measured for the lowest-earning households, and also reflects a share of the gain in average blue-collar purchasing power. It can also be raised earlier if prices climb sharply, and the government may add a discretionary "coup de pouce" (extra boost) on top. No such extra boost was reported for this revaluation.

The Smic matters because it sets the floor for pay across the economy. Many wage scales and some benefits are linked to it, so each revaluation affects millions of workers, mainly in retail, hospitality, cleaning and care. Unions generally argued that increases tied only to inflation do little to improve living standards, while employers' groups warned about the cost for small businesses. This January increase is the starting point for the later rise announced for 1 December 2026.