Jean-Pierre Farandou: raising the minimum wage to €1,700 net would destroy more than 230,000 jobs
Jean-Pierre Farandou, Minister of Labour · claimed on Nov 8, 2026 · original source
In an interview with La Tribune Dimanche published on 8 November 2026, Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou stated that raising the minimum wage (smic) to €1,700 net, as demanded by LFI and the PS, "would destroy more than 230,000 jobs". The following day, the government announced a 1.6% increase on 1 December (€1,501.90 net); the minister put the effect of this increase alone at 5,000 to 20,000 jobs, based on a note from the ministry's statistics department that the Prime Minister had promised to present, but which had not been sent to the press on 13 November. Economists' estimates diverge mainly depending on whether employer social-contribution reliefs would or would not follow the minimum wage increase. Publishing the note and the method behind the figure of 230,000 would make it possible to settle the question.
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