While France is currently hit hard by an energy crisis, consumers must also deal with inflation, which will have an impact on household budgets in 2023.
Times are tough for the French. And the situation is not about to improve. For several months, the amounts on consumer receipts have increased considerably due to inflation which affects almost all everyday products, whether food, hygiene or household. Increases that weigh on the budget of the French who, at the same time, see their gas and electricity bills soar considerably because of the looming energy crisis. Thus, since April 2022, the number of people welcomed to Restos du Coeur has increased by 12% compared to the same period last year, while, during the winter campaign last year, no less than 142 million meals had been distributed to more than 1.1 million people in need.
A situation which unfortunately should not improve if we are to believe Michel-Édouard Leclerc. On the antenna CNewson December 20, the president of the Leclerc stores had difficulty in masking his concern, particularly in the face of inflation which, according to him, expected to increase further in 2023. “For the next year, everything is in double digitsthere is nothing below 10%. Even if we manage to fight with the big industrial groups, there will be inflation for 2023 as we have not seen in 40 years in France”he thus warned, explaining that currently, “large multinational corporations […] ask, for example, on products for dogs and cats, increases between 17 and 39%”. “The first fight will be to demand transparency from them”he warned.
What’s next after this ad
The minimum wage will increase on January 1, 2023
While inflation reached 6.2% last November, it should not fall in the coming months if we are to believe Michel-Édouard Leclerc, who seems determined that it should have the least possible impact on the French purses. The last time inflation was estimated at double digits in France was in 1982, that is, forty years ago. Two years after the second oil shock, inflation had, that year, been assessed at 11.8% on average over twelve months. To cope with inflation in 2023, the Government plans to increase the hourly minimum wage by 1.8%, starting next January. It will thus increase to 1,353.07 euros net, or around 24 euros above its current amount.