The average salary rose to 25,353.22 gross euros in 2022, 4.6% more than in 2021, according to data from the INE’s annual labor cost survey published yesterday. The figure does not serve to counter the inflation of the exercise, which had an annual average of 8.4%. Thus, workers lost almost four points of purchasing power, even among those who earn the most or the wealthiest autonomous communities.
It’s a drop in purchasing power unmatched in the series. Only in 2012 was a drop of 3% in purchasing power exceeded, since inflation was 2.4% and wages fell by 0.6%.
The impact of rising prices for energy, food, transport and life in general has made a hole in the Spanish budget and left a 2022 to forget. Wages have not made up for it. From European bodies such as the European Central Bank (ECB) or in employers’ circles, it had been asked to proceed with caution with the salary increase to avoid second-round effects that would slow down inflation. Between containment and the need to recover margins, they have come out losing. The increase of 4.6% is also lower than the 6.2% in 2021, which is highly influenced if compared to 2020, when wages fell due to the onset of the pandemic.
Analysis by sector leaves gaps. While in construction wages increased by 5.2%, up to 24,415.59 euros, in industry they did so less, by 4%, up to 29,075.93 euros. Its workers have, in any case, the highest average salary, since in services they increased by 4.7%, up to 24,781.96 euros.
Going into detail, the best salaries are in the area of ??electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply, with 63,074.26 euros (0.2% over 2021); and that of financial and insurance activities, with 50,391.70 euros (3%). Both repeat at the same place as last year.
On the opposite side, the lowest wages are in hospitality, with 15,175.70 euros (29%), and in administrative activities and auxiliary services, with 17,336.67 euros (2.8%). In the first case, the jump is substantial, guided by the same increase in the minimum wage up to 1,000 euros in 2022, which fully affects the hotel sector, and the need to attract talent with better conditions.
For autonomies there are no surprises. The highest salaries are in Madrid, with an average of 30,348.34 euros (3.5%), in the Basque Country, with 29,050.48 euros (2.9%) and in Catalonia, with 27,420.94 (5.5%). The country’s economic engines pay better… but they also don’t cover the price hike. Extremadura receives the lowest salary, with 20,380.34 euros (4.9%).
To find the place where they grew the most you have to travel to the Canary Islands, with 11.2%. Despite this, its average is the second lowest, with 21,137.05 euros. At least they escape from the last position, which they occupied last year, and it is the only autonomy that can say that it exceeds national inflation. The Balearic Islands (8.3%, 23,801.06 euros) and Cantabria (5.6%, 23,548.93 euros) complete the list of increases.
Although their amounts do not fall in any autonomous region, the smallest progress is made by Murcia, whose average salary increases by 1.8%, up to 22,177.76 euros.
The salary is not the only thing that companies face. The statistics show that each worker cost the companies an average of 34,058.33 euros, 4.1% more. The figure includes the salary received by the employee (74% of the cost), contributions (8,055.63 euros), severance pay (144.33 euros) or training expenses (68.32 euros), among others. On average, companies received 227.22 euros in subsidies and deductions to promote employment and training.
