Over the past decade, the real wages of young people in Spain have remained stagnant, significantly affecting their purchasing power and quality of life. Despite a global reduction in youth unemployment, young Spaniards continue to face serious economic challenges due to the lack of growth in their incomes.
A report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) highlights that the real wages of young Spaniards have not increased over the past ten years, despite the global youth unemployment rate reaching its lowest level in 15 years at 13%.
This wage stagnation has mainly impacted countries with service-based economies, such as Spain, Brazil, and Mexico, where wages have not seen significant increases due to inflation and a lack of adjustments in nominal wages.
The newspaper Cinco Días reported on this issue: Young people, one of the groups most affected by job destruction caused by the pandemic, have still not recovered from the 2008 financial crisis. According to a study by Ruge, based on data from the National Institute of Statistics’ Wage Structure Survey, people under 30 earned an average gross salary of €12,954 in 2018, which is 5.6% less than what this group earned at the beginning of the last decade, about €13,732.
During the same period, those over 30 saw their gross incomes grow by an average of 0.8%, although, when factoring in the decade’s accumulated inflation, this group also lost purchasing power. “This drop in income over the past decade is the result of normalizing precarious employment contracts for young people. It seems that society has accepted that young people must go through a period of precariousness before reaching a somewhat more stable situation,” says Eduardo Magaldi, spokesperson for Ruge UGT.
One cause of wage stagnation is the overrepresentation of young people in part-time, temporary, and informal economy jobs. In Spain, with an economy heavily based on services, jobs that could be filled by young people are instead taken by older workers with more seniority. This has resulted in a lack of wage increases for young people over the last decade.
Between 2010 and 2014, Spain experienced the worst moments of the economic crisis, leading to a significant drop in young people’s gross incomes, with a 12.9% reduction in wages. Although there was a recovery between 2014 and 2018, with an 8.3% increase in income, it was not enough to reverse the previous losses.
Furthermore, excessive immigration has also impacted the labor market, affecting employment and wages for native workers. In fact, according to a report, the massive influx of irregular immigrants translates into unfair competition in the labor market, where immigrants accept jobs under precarious conditions, putting downward pressure on wages and working conditions for native workers.
Santiago Abascal, leader of VOX, has stated that the «immigration invasion» and the failed immigration policies of Sánchez’s socialist government have contributed to keeping young people’s wages low. The large influx of illegal immigrants, which has significantly increased in recent years, has created additional pressure on the labor market, negatively affecting wages and employment opportunities for young Spaniards.
The wage stagnation of young people has significant repercussions on their quality of life and ability to become financially independent. In 2023, the average age for financial independence in Spain was 30.4 years, much higher than the European average of 26.3 years. Additionally, 70.4% of young people still live with their parents, despite a slight improvement in the emancipation rate since 2020.
To address these challenges, the widely criticized Pedro Sánchez is attempting to negotiate labor reforms aimed at changing Spain’s economic and production model, moving it away from its dependence on the service sector. Initiatives like the Youth Guarantee Plus Plan 2021-2027, which allocates €3.263 billion to combat youth unemployment, aim to improve the current situation of young people in the labor market.
Santiago Abascal, leader of VOX, has been sharply critical of the Spanish government’s plans for youth, particularly the Youth Guarantee Plus Plan. Abascal has described the government’s approach as harmful to young Spaniards, mentioning that their only plan is «Sánchez’s plan for the youth: Errejón’s marijuana, sex education without emotional education, and importing African youths to replace ours.»
Abascal and VOX argue that current policies do not adequately address the high levels of youth unemployment in Spain, which stand at 37.7% for those under 25. Abascal claims that these measures do not provide a dign.
Joana Campos es abogada y editora con más de 10 años de experiencia en la gestión de proyectos de desarrollo internacional, enfocada en la sostenibilidad y el impacto social positivo. Actualmente dirige JC Editorial, donde ha coordinado la edición y distribución de libros de reconocidos autores internacionales y la logística de numerosas giras nacionales. Además, se desempeña como Administradora General en Medicina Integradora, gestionando la clínica y generando proyectos en diversas áreas. Anteriormente, trabajó como abogada corporativa, especializándose en derecho penal y corporativo. Joana es licenciada en Derecho por la Universidad de Guadalajara.
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