The survey notes a refocusing of companies on individual increases, the general increases having fallen to a “historically low” level.
(AFP / Mychele Dan)
French companies have greatly reduced wage increase budgets in 2025 compared to the previous year, according to a survey by the cabinet Mercer published Thursday, July 10, in a context of lower inflation.
This survey on compulsory annual negotiations (NAO) shows a median budget
“in net decline”, spent from 4% in 2024 to 2.5% in 2025
on the background of inflation down. And almost 7% of companies have frozen all or part of the wages, “unheard of since 2021”, according to Mercer.
“More tense” social climate
Budgets are quite homogeneous regardless of the sector of activity and “for the second consecutive year”, the Cabinet Note
a refocusing on individual increases
. General increases are reserved for non-managers and are at a “historically low” level with a median at 0.2%, (vs 1% in 2024, 3% in 2023 and 0.43% before Covid in 2019-2020).
The cabinet also signals
A “more tense” social climate
With 84% of companies having finalized their NAOs at the end of March (VS 93% at the same period in 2024) “including 21% PV of disagreement, or 3 points more than in 2024”.
The survey was carried out between October 2024 and March 2025 with a panel of 222 companies located in France, through an online questionnaire and individual interviews.
