Catalonia, the fifth worst community in terms of gender pay gap

Catalonia has the fifth worst figure in the State for the gender pay gap, with 19.5%, exceeding the national average of 17%, according to a study by the Women's Institute. Men earn an average annual profit of 29,381.84 euros, while women earn 24,359.82 euros, a difference of 5,022.02 euros.

The study highlights that the gender pay gap is present in all autonomous communities and economic activities, but is more pronounced in older and younger groups, in the private sector, in part-time jobs and among the foreign population.

Between 2012 and 2022 the wage gap was reduced by 6.83 points: at this rate it would take another 25 years to achieve the goal of zero pay gap in Spain.

Age and nationality

On the occasion of Equal Pay Day, which is celebrated on February 22 to raise awareness in Spanish society about the persistence of the wage gap between men and women, the Women's Institute has published the monograph The wage gap exists, don't be confused to analyze this reality.

The study reveals significant gender differences in the gap based on the nationality of workers: among the Spanish population it is 17.3%; in the EU, 20.8%; among non-EU Europeans, 33.7%; among the American population, 17%; and among the African population, 28.9%.

The report points to age as a factor that also influences the gap, which is more pronounced among people under 20 years of age (28.6%) and those over 65 (25.5%), while the difference is smaller in the age ranges from 25 to 29 years (4.8).

The public sector records a lower pay gap than in the private sector (8.4% compared to 13.4% in 2021). The differences are more pronounced in part-time than in full-time working hours.

Difference between communities

Men earn more than women in all the autonomous communities of the State, but there are notable differences in the gap by territory: the most egalitarian communities are the Canary Islands (4.3%), the Balearic Islands (7.4%), Extremadura (10.9%), the Basque Country (16.4%), Andalusia (17%)1 and the Basque Country. At the bottom, with the highest levels of wage inequality, are Murcia (20.1%), La Rioja (19.7%), Aragon (19.6%), Asturias (19.5%) and Catalonia (19.5%).

Economic activity

According to the study, men earn higher average wages than women in almost all sectors of economic activity, and the largest pay gaps are found in administrative activities (26.6%) and in professional, scientific and technical activities (26%).

Furthermore, while 24.8% of women earn earnings equal to or less than the minimum interprofessional wage, among men this percentage does not reach 11%. According to data from UGT Catalunya published on February 14, in Catalonia 18.9% of women work with this type of contract, while for men the figure drops to 7.1%.

UGT said that the increase in the minimum interprofessional wage (SMI) was of "essential importance" to reduce the gap. In addition, it also explained that the real inequality in the wages of men and women has been reduced by only 200 euros since 2008.

Maternity

The Women's Institute also points out that motherhood has a negative impact on women's employability. The activity rate for women between 24 and 54 years of age is 83.6% and for men 91.6%. In addition, women take 88% of the leave of absence and opt for part-time work for care in 92.4% of cases.

To these data we must add, the Institute points out, that women spend 4 hours and 7 minutes a day on care activities and domestic tasks, compared to less than two hours spent by men (1 hour and 54 minutes).

The document points out that collective agreements are not exempt from the reproduction of inequalities through feminized and masculinized professional categories, in addition to salary supplements that generate indirect discrimination. Finally, it stresses that gender-differentiated socialisation leads to horizontal segregation in the labour market.