Workplace Report December 2011

European news

Inflation increases French minimum wage

The French minimum wage, the SMIC, went up by 2.1% on 1 December to take account of the increase in prices since it was last uprated on 1 January 2011.

Legislation requires the minimum wage to be increased every time prices increase by at least 2.0%, and between November 2010 (the figure used for the January 2011 uprating) and October 2011 inflation went up by 2.1%. This figure has now been applied to the minimum wage itself. The SMIC is now worth €9.19 an hour or €1,394 a month. It will go up again automatically on 1 January.

The euro was worth 85p on 9 December 2011.