Is it true that the minimum wage will increase by 20 euros per month on January 1st?

Each year, the minimum wage is revalued according to a calculation method which takes into account inflation. In 2026, this increase will be 20 euros gross (17 euros net) per month.

The year 2025 ended with great budgetary uncertainty, with the adoption of the “special law”. While waiting for the resumption of debates on the 2026 state budget, certain measures which were to come into force on January 1 are suspended or postponed. What about the minimum wage? “I saw on TikTok that the minimum wage was going to be increased by 20 euros. Is that true?” asks Enzo, a 4th grade student at Turgot college in Denain (North).

It’s true. On January 1, 2026, the Smic (Minimum Growth Wage) will increase by 1.18%. A revaluation which concerns 2.2 million employees in the private sector. For those who work full time (35 hours per week) this actually represents almost 20 euros per month more. If we look at the net salary (the gross from which social security contributions are subtracted), that is to say what will really be paid to the employee, the increase is then 17 euros. The minimum wage will therefore increase from 1,426 euros net monthly to 1,443 euros.

This increase in the minimum wage occurs at least once each year, as provided for in the Labor Code. To calculate it, the Ministry of Labor considers two factors. On the one hand, inflation (the increase in prices) suffered by the poorest households. And on the other hand, the purchasing power of employees and workers, the two types of positions which are most often paid the minimum wage. In addition to this mechanical increase, the government can decide to give a “boost” to the minimum wage. The last time was in 2022.

For 2026, the government has decided to stick to the automatic increase. To make this decision, he relied on the report of the SMIC expert group. Since 2008, these economists and researchers have published recommendations each year concerning the amount of the minimum wage. Their conclusions for 2026 are that “the conditions are not met” to give a boost to the minimum wage. Economic activity slowing down in Europe, the decline in job creation, inflation falling… these are, to name only some of them, the experts’ arguments.

But the unions do not share this opinion. The CFDT and the CGT demanded an additional increase in the minimum wage. Because according to them the purchasing power of minimum wage workers is deteriorating. More broadly, they call for a rethink of the salary scale in particular to avoid certain employees being paid the minimum wage throughout their career. “Prisoners” of the minimum wage who are over-represented in the catering or mass distribution sectors.