Budget proposal: apprentices' net salary could decrease

This draft budget still needs to be voted on in Parliament, where it could be amended to find compromises with political opposition, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Tuesday.

Before 2025, apprentices benefited from significant exemptions from contributions or the general social contribution (CSG) on their salary, which meant that their net salary was very close to their gross salary.

In 2025, this benefit has already been reduced and the portion of their salary that exceeds 50% of the gross minimum wage (around 900 euros) is now subject to employee contributions and the CSG.

The budget proposal presented on Tuesday proposes to go further and completely remove this exemption, which would further weigh on apprentices' net salaries if this provision were to be adopted.

A measure justified by the government by the fact that "the rights of apprentices are identical to those of employees and must (...) be financed".

It would only apply to new contracts concluded from January 2026.

The Lecornu government presented a draft budget on Tuesday that combines tax increases and spending controls to restore deteriorating public finances, and pledged to suspend pension reform before Parliament, which will have the final say.

Approved by the Council of Ministers, the State budget (PLF) and Social Security budget (PLFSS) will now be examined in Parliament, at the last minute to enable their adoption by December 31.

The draft budget also includes a freeze on social benefits and retirement pensions in 2026.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.