France industry minimum wages above 1.6 SMIC
France industry minimum wages above 1.6 SMIC stood at 0.9% 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 2018 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industry agreements: distribution of minimum wages relative to the SMIC | |||||||||||
| Above 1.6 times the SMIC | 0.9 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2 | 2.5 | |
| Below 1.05 times the SMIC | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 4.2 |
Understanding france industry minimum wages above 1.6 SMIC
Calculations tracking the proportion of industry-wide collective agreements establishing floor remuneration tiers positioned higher than a multiple of the statutory minimum wage gauge upper-tier sectoral pay dynamics. Specifically, this metric isolates the segment of branch accords where the negotiated entry scale surpasses the specified threshold relative to the national legal floor, excluding agreements setting baselines closer to or below that legislative benchmark. It differs from alternative distributional slices by focusing strictly on higher-tier industrial negotiations, thereby capturing the wage-setting behavior of sectors with advanced skill profiles or stronger bargaining frameworks.
Interpreting this distribution requires attention to shifts in the statutory minimum wage itself, as revisions to the national floor automatically compress or expand the proportion of branch agreements sitting in higher relative brackets. Analysts must remember that this series measures the concentration of agreements rather than absolute wage levels or aggregate earnings growth. Comparing these branch-level distributions against internal corporate settlements or economy-wide inflation figures helps clarify whether high-tier industrial bargaining outpaces general price pressures or mirrors broader macroeconomic movements without seasonal distortions.
Frequently asked questions
- What does this series include?
- It counts the proportion of industry-wide branch collective agreements that set minimum pay floors exceeding the specified multiple of the national statutory minimum wage.
- How does this differ from lower-tier metrics?
- Unlike distributions tracking agreements near or below the statutory floor, this metric isolates high-tier industrial negotiations characteristic of advanced sectors.
- Why do statutory minimum wage changes affect this series?
- Adjustments to the national legal floor shift the relative position of all branch minimums, altering the proportion of agreements falling into this high-tier bracket.