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Pay and working conditions in European countries

France

Country: France

France has a 35-hour legal working week, five weeks of paid leave and a minimum wage (SMIC) of €1,867.02 gross a month since 1 June 2026. Employers find it hardest to recruit in IT, health and care, construction, industry and transport. Find out where to look for a job, how to apply in French and what to do in your first weeks.

Minimum wage (SMIC): €12.31 gross an hour, i.e. €1,867.02 gross a month for a 35-hour week (€1,477.93 net), since 1 June 2026. The SMIC is raised every year and also automatically during the year if prices rise by at least 2%.
Working time: the legal working week is 35 hours. Maximum: 10 hours a day, 48 hours in a single week and 44 hours on average over 12 weeks. After 6 hours of work you get a break of at least 20 minutes.
Overtime (from the 36th hour): +25% for the first 8 hours a week, +50% from the 44th hour. A collective agreement can set other rates, but never below 10%.
Paid leave: 2.5 working days per month worked – 30 working days (5 weeks) a year – whatever your contract (permanent, fixed-term or temporary).
Contract: it must state your job, workplace, start date, pay, working hours, leave, notice periods and the collective agreement (convention collective) that applies.
Payslip: you are paid monthly and get a payslip with gross and net pay and all deductions.

published: 2014-09-03
last modification: 2026-10-03

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Key figures: Eurostat (population on 1 January 2026; unemployment and employment rates 2025; minimum wages July 2026); for the United Kingdom – Office for National Statistics; for Liechtenstein – national statistics. Country information: EURES – Living and working conditions, public employment services and the official government websites listed under each country. Rules, thresholds and amounts can change – check the official sources before you move. Updated: October 2026.

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