The Community of Madrid reaches the highest wage gap with a 29.8% salary difference, while the Canary Islands have the lowest (10.8%).
MADRID, 20 (EUROPA PRESS)
Women earn almost 5,100 euros less annually than men, representing a 23.9% wage gap, as warned by the Tax Technicians (Gestha) on Thursday, according to the IX Report ‘Wage Gap, Sticky Floor, and Glass Ceiling’.
On the occasion of Equal Pay Day, celebrated on Saturday, February 22, it is noted that the average annual salary is 21,298 euros for women and 26,390 euros for men. The report also indicates that it will take 23 years to close the wage gap if the current pace of progress between 1999 and 2023 continues.
The technicians also point out that in the last year, the wage gap has decreased by 3.7%, almost one percentage point. However, in absolute terms, it is stated that the wage gap has increased by 93 euros annually.
Specifically, the Tax Technicians highlight that the relative wage gap has decreased by 50.5% since 1999, achieving the most progress with wage protection measures during the 2020 lockdown (with a reduction of 7.8%). Following the halt in 2022, the wage gap decreased by 3.7% in 2023, the highest in the series.
Furthermore, Gestha explains that precariousness and the glass ceiling are the main reasons for the wage gap. In this regard, it is stated that almost 4.1 million women would not earn the minimum wage amount over the course of a year. Additionally, it is highlighted that women’s employment decreases as the level of job remuneration increases.
By autonomous communities, Gestha indicates that the Community of Madrid has the highest wage gap with a 29.8% salary difference, followed by Asturias (29.7%) and Aragon (27.2%). On the other hand, the regions with the lowest wage gap are the Canary Islands (10.8%), the Autonomous City of Melilla (13.9%), the Balearic Islands (16.3%), and Extremadura (18.6%).
In terms of sectors, it is noted that the Financial and Insurance Entities sector has the largest income differences between men and women, with a wage gap of 16,537 euros annually. This is followed by the Information and Communications sector (8,294 euros) and the Business Services sector (7,169). According to the report, the sector with the lowest wage gap is Construction and Real Estate Activities, with a difference of 1,118 euros. Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry, and Fishing (3,918 euros) and Other Personal and Leisure Services (3,928 euros) are far behind.
However, in relative terms regarding women’s salary amounts, the sector with the largest wage gap is Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry, and Fishing (49.3%), followed by Financial and Insurance Entities (40.8%) and Business Services (39.5%). Those sectors with the least percentage of wage gap are Construction (5.2%), Extractive Industry, Energy, and Water (15.6%), and Social Services (22.5%).
REINFORCING BUDGETARY ALLOCATION
Likewise, Gestha has urged the Government to strengthen the budget allocation to increase the number of places in public childcare centers for children aged 0 to 3, as well as in specialized centers for the care of elderly or dependent individuals.
On the other hand, the Secretary General of Gestha, José María Mollinedo, has advocated for promoting «greater participation of women in the workforce and a cultural change.» The goal is for both parents to be involved in balancing work and family life «to break the bias and glass ceiling for women through a more equal professional promotion, issues that should be part of a State Pact.»
FUENTE
