2023 Strikes in France Reach Highest Levels Since 2010

New data reveals a significant rise in strike activity driven by pension reform protests, though still below the intensity of 2010.

The 2023 pension reform raising the retirement age to 64 spurred the most significant strike activity in over a decade, according to France's Ministry of Labor statistics.
2.7% of companies with 10 or more employees experienced strikes in 2023, marking the highest rate since 2010 but still below that year's peak of 3.5%.
The number of individual strike days per 1,000 employees rose sharply by 73% compared to 2022, reaching 171 days in 2023.
While protests against the pension reform were the primary driver, wage disputes also played a significant role in fueling strike activity.
Strikes were most prevalent in industries like transportation and energy, with public sector workers, including teachers, also heavily mobilized.