AI dismantles middle management positions, which have been the most affected since the crisis

BarcelonaExceptional growth in wages for entry-level workers over the past year, especially those working in small businesses, has resulted in this group gaining purchasing power compared to 2007: while accumulated inflation over the last 19 years is 43.5%, the wages of entry-level workers have increased by 45.89%, to 28.

This is confirmed by the latest edition of the studySalary evolution 2007-2025The report, presented this Wednesday at a press conference by the Eada business school and the human resources consultancy ICSA, is based on a survey of 80,000 workers. The negative note is struck by workers in middle management positions, who have experienced the greatest cumulative loss of purchasing power. Their salaries, averaging €42,822 in 2025, have grown by 23.04% since 2007, well below the accumulated inflation rate of 4%. This "dismantling," as explained by the CEO of ICSA Group, Ernesto Poveda, is largely due to the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI), which is causing an "organizational flattening," eliminating supervisory positions or categories. The challenge of AI

"We see it in many jobs, as a professor, in research where it helps you write articles, we also see it in banking and in administrative and management jobs. AI has played a major role; it's either our greatest ally or a competitor," explained Anton-Giulio Manganelli, professor of strategy at Eada. Regarding executives, who earn an average of €90,226, the cumulative increase is 31.35%. Historically, this segment has always registered higher increases, but in 2025 a change occurred because, according to the study, compensation models are based on linear increases and have favored entry-level workers, since middle and senior management positions are more closely tied to company results. Manganelli also highlighted that salary increases across different categories, compared to GDP growth over the past 19 years, show that wages have not increased at the same rate as GDP per capita. "This means that wealth is being created, but the wealth created is not being distributed equitably," he said. He also emphasized the level of absenteeism in the Spanish economy, with one million unemployed workers per day, as a worrying factor, representing "an unacceptable cost" for any organization. Rebound in small businesses

One of the most noteworthy findings of the study, according to its authors, is the 8.72% increase in the wages of entry-level workers in SMEs. They attributed this to the need for small businesses to raise salaries to respond to the "ongoing acquisition" of workers by medium and large companies, as well as to increases in the national minimum wage (SMI), collective bargaining agreements partially indexed to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), and greater technological advancement in operational positions. The increase in wages for entry-level workers in medium and large companies was 3.1% and 4.2%, respectively, significantly higher than any other category—entry-level, middle management, or executive—in any of the three types of companies. Training and new compensation models

To address current labor market challenges, such as the application of AI, the study concludes that it is necessary to invest in continuous training, especially for middle management positions, and to redesign total compensation models by linking them to productivity. "It is necessary to move towards more flexible and sustainable compensation schemes, aligned with the actual contribution of each position," the study states. Another proposal is to promote non-monetary compensation as a non-competitive advantage, through teleworking, flexible hours, work-life balance initiatives, and ongoing training.