Employment and work : les propositions des candidats à la présidentielle 2027

The unemployment rate reached 8.3% in the second quarter of 2026 according to Insee, up 0.7 points over one year, and 21.6% among 15-24 year olds. Candidates are divided over unemployment insurance, working time, the level of the SMIC minimum wage and the cost of labour.

Marine Le Pen

The RN wants to encourage wage increases and reverse the latest unemployment insurance reform.

Exempt wage increases of 10% from social contributions for three to five years (2024).
Cancel the 2024 unemployment insurance reform (RN 2024 programme).
An apprenticeship voucher and aid refocused on sectors facing labour shortages.
National priority in hiring for equal skills.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon

LFI proposes reducing working time and strengthening the rights of the unemployed.

Effectively restore the 35-hour week and create a sixth week of paid holidays.
SMIC minimum wage at 1,700 euros net and wages indexed to inflation (October 2026).
Repeal the unemployment insurance reforms and pay benefits from the first day.
Ban layoffs driven by stock-market considerations and guarantee a job for long-term unemployed people.

Édouard Philippe

Édouard Philippe wants to reduce the burden of social security financing on labour to increase take-home pay.

Reduce the financing of the labour-based social model to raise net wages (July 2026).
Gradually exempt overtime from contributions and income tax (October 2026).
A right to retraining and training adapted to artificial intelligence (July 2026).

Raphaël Glucksmann

Place publique wants to raise low wages and expand local schemes against unemployment (March 2026).

Raise the SMIC to €1,600 net within two years.
Expand “Territoires zéro chômeur de longue durée” and the CDI d'insertion.
Support employee buyouts of companies through SCOP worker cooperatives.
Employee representatives on boards of directors from 100 employees.

David Lisnard

David Lisnard wants to restore take-home pay through a sharp cut in levies, financed by public spending savings.

Devote €120 billion to raising net wages through lower contributions (October 2026).
Abolish the C3S and reduce production taxes (October 2026).
Facilitate contract recruitment between the public and private sectors (August 2026).
Raise teachers' salaries by 20% over five years, subject to conditions (August 2026).

Bruno Retailleau

LR wants to tighten unemployment insurance rules and loosen the organisation of work.

Abolish benefits after three refusals of reasonable job offers.
Limit benefits to six months after a rupture conventionnelle (mutual termination agreement) and cap high allowances.
Annualise working time and simplify the Labour Code.
Top up the personal training account by €1 billion (July 2026).

Gabriel Attal

Renaissance is counting on reindustrialisation, training and entrepreneurship (July 2025 programme).

Create 500,000 industrial jobs and raise industry to 15% of GDP.
Train 10 million employees in artificial intelligence within three years.
A “Tous entrepreneurs” plan aiming for one million business creators in ten years.
Study a four-day working week.

Éric Zemmour

Éric Zemmour wants to raise net wages by cutting the CSG and tax-exempting additional work (2022 programme).

Cut the CSG below €2,000 net, which would mean more than €105 for a SMIC earner (2022 programme).
Fully exempt overtime from income tax and charges (2022 programme).
Make profit-sharing mandatory in companies with more than ten employees (2022 programme).
A bonus-malus system to discourage dismissing employees over 55 (2022 programme).

Marine Tondelier

Les Écologistes want to raise the SMIC and adapt work to climate warming (2026).

Raise the SMIC to €2,000 gross from 2027.
Five days of climate leave in case of red weather alert.
Make heatwave plans mandatory in large companies.
Revalue jobs of social connection (métiers du lien) and raise teachers' salaries by 15%.

Fabien Roussel

The PCF places a general wage increase at the centre of its proposals (August 2026).

Raise the SMIC to €1,700 net.
Raise all salaries by 5%.
Raise civil servants' index point by 30%.
Restore the sliding wage scale (échelle mobile des salaires).

Nicolas Dupont-Aignan

Debout la France wants to limit competition from posted workers and reduce charges on youth employment.

Abolish the posted workers directive (November 2024).
Exempt from charges for one year the first job of anyone under 26 (October 2026).
Two days of telework for parents of children under three (January 2026).
An “F-H” label with contribution reductions for pay equality (October 2025).

Dominique de Villepin

Dominique de Villepin wants to make aid to companies conditional and strengthen the role of employees.

Make exemptions from contributions conditional on commitments on employment, training and wages (December 2025).
Make youth integration the priority of the public employment service (March 2026).
Strengthen employee shareholding and participation in strategic decisions (June 2026).

Nathalie Arthaud

Nathalie Arthaud proposes sharing work among everyone to eliminate unemployment (2026).

Share work among everyone to eliminate unemployment (June 2026).
Reduce working time without loss of pay or dismissals.
Raise the SMIC to at least €2,200 net (August 2026).

Karim Bouamrane

Karim Bouamrane focuses on youth training and employment in the regions (August 2026 programme).

Guarantee every young person training that leads to a job of their choice.
Create sustainable jobs in the regions through the ecological transition.

François Hollande

He defends the supply-side policy of his five-year term and wants to strengthen the role of employees in the company.

Raise employee representation on boards of directors to 30%.
Cut production taxes by reducing business subsidies.
Cut employee contributions to raise net pay.

Natacha Polony

She wants to reindustrialise to rebuild activity and makes public aid conditional on production in France.

Declare a “state of production emergency.”
Abolish company aid that is not conditional on production in France.
Launch a support plan for farm incomes and a new Egalim law.

Employment and work : les propositions des candidats à la présidentielle 2027

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