France industry minimum wages below 1.05 SMIC
France industry minimum wages below 1.05 SMIC stood at 1.2% 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 | |||||||||||
| 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 | |
| 1.05 to 1.2 times the SMIC | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3 | 4.1 |
Understanding france industry minimum wages below 1.05 SMIC
The proportion of industry-negotiated minimum wage agreements that fall strictly beneath a narrow threshold relative to the national statutory minimum wage is quantified by this percentage share series. The metric analyzes the distribution structure of sectoral collective accords, highlighting industrial branches where agreed baseline remuneration fails to clear the upper margins of the statutory floor. This concentration measure assists analysts in monitoring wage compression at the lowest end of the formalized labor market.
Users evaluating these figures should note that shifts in this share often reflect legislative increases in the statutory minimum wage rather than autonomous downward adjustments in sectoral bargaining outcomes. The data relies on the census of active branch agreements, meaning newly ratified pacts can alter distribution percentages abruptly. Comparing this bracket with higher multi-tier distribution measures provides a complete picture of how far sectoral pay floors sit above national legal minimums.
Frequently asked questions
- What does this specific percentage share represent?
- It measures the proportion of industry-negotiated minimum wage agreements falling below a tight multiple of the statutory floor.
- Why might this distribution share shift abruptly from one period to the next?
- Legislative increases in the national statutory minimum wage can rapidly push existing branch agreements into lower comparative brackets.
- How does this series help evaluate collective bargaining structures?
- It reveals the extent to which industry-level negotiated floors are compressed near the legal minimum wage limit.