Reducing the gender gap
The secretaries of State for Labor, Joaquín Pérez Rey, and for Social Security, Borja Suárez, highlighted this Monday the importance of the fight against the gender gap in the labor market. According to his statements, this gap is being reduced thanks to several factors, such as the labor reform and the increase in the interprofessional minimum wage (SMI) which particularly benefits female workers. In addition, there has been a growth in employment among women, with a number increasingly close to that of men. However, there are still absolute differences that continue to disadvantage women in terms of contracts, wages and unemployment. The Secretaries of State have highlighted the importance of continuing to work to reduce this gap and improve the working conditions of female workers.
Growth in female employment
In relation to employment, it has been observed that more than 1.6 million jobs have been created since the beginning of the pandemic, of which more than half have gone to women. This has meant a growth in female employment of 12% since 2020, while in the case of men this growth has been 8%. In addition, there has been an increase in indefinite employment among women, especially in full-time employment and in the public sector. However, there are still strongly feminized sectors and work must continue to reduce unwanted part-time and other forms of employment discrimination.
Reducing the wage gap
In terms of wages, there has been a reduction in the wage gap between men and women, although there is still some way to go. Women have experienced a 16% increase in their contribution base, while in the case of men this increase has been 13%. This has been attributed to the increase in the interprofessional minimum wage and other wage improvement measures. However, there are still significant differences in wages between men and women and work must continue to achieve greater wage equality.
