France to Raise Minimum Wage to About €1,502 a Month

France will raise its national minimum wage, known as the SMIC, by 1.6% on December 1. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced the move on Monday after meeting unions and employers in Paris. The government brought the increase forward from January as it faced growing pressure over the cost of living.

For a full-time worker on minimum wage, that means about €24 more in monthly take-home pay. The increase includes a 1% adjustment for inflation and an additional 0.6% decided by the government. France’s largest union, the CFDT, had called for a €100 monthly increase. The CGT wanted about €150 and has called for another day of protests on November 17.

The demonstrations began with high school students protesting underfunded schools and grew into a broader movement over wages and purchasing power. On Saturday, authorities counted about 146,000 demonstrators nationwide. The next round of protests will show how much pressure the wage announcement has taken off the government.