The minimum wage in France: History and debates

Résumé 0

This article traces the history of the minimum wage in France, beginning with its creation in 1950. The first part addresses the statutory and regulatory changes that have accompanied this history, identifying three broad periods (1950-1967, 1968-1981, and 1982 onwards). The second part highlights the dead-end policy of social contributions exemptions on “low wages” in relation to the minimum wage. In particular, it highlights the blind spots in the analyses produced by the group of SMIC (minimum wage) experts established in 2009. The third part addresses the main debates surrounding the minimum wage, considering first the employer’s point of view and then that of the employee. The conclusion offers an estimate of a decent minimum wage (living wage) based on the reference budgets published by the National Observatory for Poverty and Social Exclusion (ONPES).