Madar (International) - French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced on Monday, November 9, 2026, that the 1.6 percent increase in the minimum wage, originally planned for the start of 2027, will take effect from December 1, 2026, Al Jazeera English reported, citing AFP and Reuters.
The move follows weeks of student-led demonstrations that began with calls for more investment in schools and grew into broader protests over the cost of living. France's monthly minimum wage stands at 1,477.93 euros; the increase raises it by 24 euros to 1,502 euros.
"Regarding the SMIC, we have decided two things: to bring forward the increase to December 1 as opposed to January 1, and to raise this increase to 1.6 percent," Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou told a news conference. Lecornu called it "the second-largest rise in 20 years", "not merely symbolic" and "carefully planned to ensure it does not lead to job losses". The last rise, of 35 euros, came in June, triggered by inflation.
The increase still falls short of union demands: the CFDT, France's largest union, wants 100 euros more, while the CGT is demanding a 10 percent rise, around 150 euros a month. CFDT head Marylise Leon called it "insufficient", and CGT head Sophie Binet described it as "crumbs".
The government is concerned about mounting social tensions five months before the presidential election, in which far-right leader Marine Le Pen leads the polls, while France Unbowed candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon unveiled his programme on Saturday to some 17,000 supporters, according to the same source.
