“If the minimum wage had increased like fuel, it would be 3,106 euros. “This statement, inscribed in a marker on the back of an orange vest, has been circulating more and more in recent days on social networks, thanks to the rise in prices at the pump. The unleaded 95 flirts with its 2012 record, at 1.6567 euros per liter.
In the comments of the publication, some Internet users are indignant, affirming that “the government is constantly scamming us” and that such a high minimum wage would “relaunch growth”. Many of them are worried about seeing prices increase if the minimum wage is revalued to more than 3,000 euros. “Heating, food and shelter would be incredibly expensive. “
Has the minimum wage stalled so much vis-à-vis fuel prices in recent months? 20 minutes make the point.
FAKE OFF
First warning: this photo does not date from the last few weeks or from the demonstrations of “yellow vests” organized last Saturday. It therefore does not directly refer to the increase in fuel prices observed since May 2020. According to research by 20 minutes, it was shared in November 2018 – just after “act I” of the “yellow vests” –
by CGT unions.
Anyway, this statement does not hold true over the past 18 months, nor over the past 20 years. Certainly, the price of fuel has skyrocketed. Since May 2020, when prices were the lowest in the last ten years, the cost has increased by around 25%, as shown in the graph below.
So let’s take the minimum wage level in 2020, which was set at 1,539.42 euros gross per month, according to INSEE. To reach the 3,106 euros claimed by the inscription on the back of the orange vest, the increase should have been 101.7%. A curve far from that of the price of fuel. In reality, if the minimum wage had strictly followed the increase in fuel prices, that is to say by 25% since 2020, it would today be 1,924 euros per month.
Even though the author of this inscription on the orange vest refers to older tariffs, he would overestimate the increase in the minimum wage. Since 2002, date of latest figures available on the INSEE website, the price of unleaded 95 has increased by 67.4%. This means that following this increase, the minimum wage for 2002 would be around 1,734 euros today.
It should also be remembered that the price of fuel is taken into account in the calculation of the revaluation of the minimum wage, since these calculations take into account the consumer price index excluding tobacco. This indicator is calculated based on the 20% of households with the lowest income.
As indicated by INSEE, several expenses are taken into account: food, services (rent, water, health services, etc.), manufactured products (clothing, health products, etc.) and energy. It is in this last section that the price of oil is found. The increase in the price of fuel therefore has an influence on the evolution of the amount of the minimum wage.