France hourly labour cost index: accommodation and catering
France hourly labour cost index: accommodation and catering stood at 123.6 in Q2 2026, according to INSEE – Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (BDM). It is one of the indicators in the Wages and labour cost table (Value · Quarterly), with a complete series running from Q1 1998 to Q2 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Wages and labour cost table
| Indicator | Q2-2026 | Q1-2026 | Q4-2025 | Q3-2025 | Q2-2025 | Q1-2025 | Q4-2024 | Q3-2024 | Q2-2024 | Q1-2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour cost index | |||||||||||
| hourly costs - Accommodation and catering (NAF rev. 2 item I) | 123.6 | 123.4 | 124.1 | 123.3 | 121.8 | 122.2 | 122.3 | 121.1 | 120.1 | 119.9 | |
| hourly costs - Information, communication (NAF rev. 2 item J) | 117.6 | 116.6 | 115.5 | 113.7 | 113.9 | 113.5 | 111.7 | 110.2 | 109.9 | 109 |
Understanding france hourly labour cost index: accommodation and catering
This measure records total hourly employer outlays for personnel working in hotels, holiday accommodations, restaurants, bars, and catering services. The computation incorporates base wages, tips handled through formal payroll systems, split-shift allowances, and mandatory social contributions divided by total hours worked by kitchen staff, service personnel, and front-desk employees. It captures an industry characterized by high staff turnover, part-time contracts, and intensive hospitality scheduling.
Seasonality plays a dominant role due to tourism influxes during summer months and holiday periods, causing sharp swings in temporary staffing and working hours. Early quarterly estimates frequently undergo revision as hospitality businesses, many of which are smaller enterprises, complete their administrative tax filings. Year-on-year metrics offer the most honest assessment of cost trends by offsetting the extreme quarterly rhythms inherent in tourism and catering.
Frequently asked questions
- Which businesses are captured in the accommodation and catering index?
- It includes hotels, holiday camps, restaurants, bars, canteens, and food service catering operations.
- Why is seasonal adjustment crucial for this hospitality metric?
- Tourism cycles and summer holiday peaks create massive shifts in staffing levels and operating hours that distort unadjusted quarterly data.
- What creates revisions in early data releases for this sector?
- Many hospitality businesses are smaller enterprises whose comprehensive social declarations take longer to process and integrate.