French Word of the Day: Smicard
It's a simple term but it will help you to follow complex discussions.
Why do I need to know Smicard?
As France hones in on the conversation around the pouvoir d’achat (household purchasing power or the cost of living) and the impacts of inflation, you might hear more talk of these workers in particular.
What does it mean?
Smicard – pronounced smee-kar – is an informal way of referring to someone who earns minimum wage.
The minimum wage in France is the Salaire minimum de croissance, widely known as le Smic (pronounced smeek). A smicard is therefore someone who is on minimum wage.
READ ALSO The everyday French initials and acronyms to know
It's not derogatory, it simply means someone who is in work but not earning very much - it's often used in political contexts to shame politicians over the fact that people working in low-wage but important jobs, such as cleaners, cannot afford to pay their bills.
The so-called “Macron bonus,” which was created in 2019 to respond to complaints made by the working poor, is specifically intended to offer a bonus to workers who make less than three times the Smic. It was originally capped at €1,000, but Macron recently said he wanted to raise the maximum to €6,000.
Use it like this
Il a l’impression que le gouvernement ne soutient pas assez les Smicards.– He feels like the government is not doing enough to support the working poor.
A partir du 1er mai, les Smicards gagneront €10,85 (brut) par heure. – As of May 1st, minimum wage workers will earn €10.85 (pre-tax) per hour.
Quand j'étais un smicard, je mangeais des pâtes cinq fois par semaine - When I was on minimum wage, I ate pasta five times a week
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See Also
Why do I need to know Smicard?
As France hones in on the conversation around the pouvoir d’achat (household purchasing power or the cost of living) and the impacts of inflation, you might hear more talk of these workers in particular.
What does it mean?
Smicard – pronounced smee-kar – is an informal way of referring to someone who earns minimum wage.
The minimum wage in France is the Salaire minimum de croissance, widely known as le Smic (pronounced smeek). A smicard is therefore someone who is on minimum wage.
READ ALSO The everyday French initials and acronyms to know
It's not derogatory, it simply means someone who is in work but not earning very much - it's often used in political contexts to shame politicians over the fact that people working in low-wage but important jobs, such as cleaners, cannot afford to pay their bills.
The so-called “Macron bonus,” which was created in 2019 to respond to complaints made by the working poor, is specifically intended to offer a bonus to workers who make less than three times the Smic. It was originally capped at €1,000, but Macron recently said he wanted to raise the maximum to €6,000.
Use it like this
Il a l’impression que le gouvernement ne soutient pas assez les Smicards.– He feels like the government is not doing enough to support the working poor.
A partir du 1er mai, les Smicards gagneront €10,85 (brut) par heure. – As of May 1st, minimum wage workers will earn €10.85 (pre-tax) per hour.
Quand j'étais un smicard, je mangeais des pâtes cinq fois par semaine - When I was on minimum wage, I ate pasta five times a week
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