Wages in SMEs and very small businesses (TPE) increased by an average of 5.49% between December 2021 and January 2023, more than inflation, according to a barometer published on Wednesday.
Le Cercle Perspectives, which brings together 19 accounting firms, analyzed the payslips of nearly 365,000 VSE/SME employees, with the help of the research firm Init.
The level of salary increase observed is a little higher than that of inflation, which averaged 5.2% in 2022.
In order to remain attractive in the face of recruitment difficulties and support the purchasing power of their employees, "
the very majority of VSE/SME bosses have chosen to trim their margins
", explains Antoine de Riedmatten, president of Cercle Perspectives and president of the management board of the accounting firm In Extenso.
The average increase in non-executive salaries, ie 5.67%, was higher than that of executives, at 4.40%, thanks in particular to increases in the minimum wage.
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Paris-regions convergence
The increases were also slightly higher for women (5.66%) than for men (5.35%), which constitutes a "
slight catch-up effect
" according to accounting firms, the salaries of women being on average lower than those of men.
Wage increases also vary by sector: they were highest in those having the most difficulty in recruiting, for example transport (7.17%) and hotels and restaurants (6.35%).
At the back of the pack, we find education (4.89%) and real estate activities (4.65%).
At the geographical level, in the regions, “
wages have continued to converge
” towards those practiced in Île-de-France.
On Monday, the Governor of the Banque de France, François Villeroy de Galhau, declared that he did not see any runaway price-wage spiral in France.