Inditex’s recently announced historical results drew widespread applause, yet sparked skepticism among workers’ representatives. A few days later, unions launched a campaign demanding that profits be redistributed fairly and equitably, benefiting those who make the growth possible and pushing for real, global progress at the state table, elevating working conditions across the board. In February of the previous year, the multinational reached an agreement with the unions establishing a minimum monthly wage of 18,000 euros for all store staff in Spain. The three-year deal, affecting 36,000 people, anticipated an average wage rise of 20 percent, with higher increases up to 40 percent in regions with lower pay. Now, the new worker demands focus on recognizing tenure, plus four-yearly premium pay, and applying the sales incentive for store staff across all brands equally, among other requests. The company has signaled its willingness to negotiate, with the next meeting scheduled for Wednesday, April 3.
Los salarios son un elemento fundamental en cualquier negociación entre una empresa y sus empleados. ¿Cómo están en Inditex tras la subida a los trabajadores de tienda del pasado año? En 2023, los gastos en personal en todo el mundo ascendieron a 5.357 millones. Es la cifra más alta de la historia de la compañía pese a que en los dos últimos años ha reducido la plantilla, según la memoria anual publicada por el grupo. Ni en 2019, cuando alcanzó el pico con más de 176.000 trabajadores se superó esta cantidad. Ese año, los salarios sumaron 4.430 millones. Los más de 5.300 del año pasado suponen un 12,7% más que el ejercicio anterior, mientras que el número de empleados se redujo un 2,2% hasta los 161.281. Fue el segundo año consecutivo con recorte de efectivos, ya que en 2022 también había bajado, aunque en este caso solo fue un 0,027%.
The 12.7 percent increase is at the group level and varies by category. The specialist category, which includes about 85 percent of the workforce primarily consisting of store staff, earned an average of 25,132 euros last year, up 9.4 percent from 2022. Managers, comprising 9 percent, earned 43,336 euros, up 9.8 percent. Finally, the executive group, representing 6 percent of employees, received an average salary of 70,567 euros, up 6.2 percent from the prior year.
In the workforce, women are the majority. By the end of 2023, women made up 74 percent, men 25 percent, with 0.02 percent identifying as non-binary and 0.01 percent as unspecified or other. Store employees are 86 percent women. The average age of the workforce stands at 30.6 years.
During the last fiscal year, the company laid off 5,876 people, including 776 in Spain. Of those, 76 percent were specialists serving stores, corporate offices, factories, and distribution centers. Managers accounted for 13 percent, and directors for 11 percent. In other markets where the company operates, 88 percent of the 5,100 dismissals were in specialist roles, 6 percent were managers, and 6 percent were in leadership, with distributions similar to the overall staffing profile. In contrast to the 5,876 terminations, the company hired 2,160 people across about twenty markets. Seven in ten vacancies were filled through internal promotion.
Por países
Spain naturally accounts for the largest share of Inditex employees with 47,761 people, up 1,607 from 2022. France and Italy also boast more than ten thousand workers each, at 10,975 and 10,283 respectively. Worldwide, the store workforce declined from 143,365 to 138,977, aligning with the company’s strategy of closing stores in recent years. Conversely, central services, logistics, and factories rose—from 11,374 to 11,612, from 9,670 to 10,090, and from 588 to 602, respectively. The growth in logistics reflects the company’s expansion in that area to sustain growth.
Regarding the gender pay gap, parity exists in total compensation between men and women. In 2023, women earned 0.5 percent more than men overall. By professional category, the gap was 1 percent for specialists, -4 percent for managers, and -5 percent for directors, representing 85 percent, 9 percent, and 6 percent of the workforce, respectively.
Hola!, the welcome program for Zara stores
The Inditex group employs about 85 percent of its workforce across roughly 5,700 stores in nearly one hundred countries. New hires arrive daily at these locations. To facilitate a smooth onboarding, Zara runs Hola!, a welcome program for anyone starting work in a store. It’s a four-week journey that blends hands-on training with digital modules on the Tra!n platform. A feature of the program is the Zara Coach, the person responsible for welcoming, guiding, and engaging the rest of the team during the onboarding process, as described by the company. Hola! operates in 50 markets and counts around 2,800 Zara Coaches. In 2016, the group launched the anonymous employee survey Tu opinión nos importa, asking whether staff would recommend Inditex as a workplace. In 2023, the company reported a 71 percent positive response rate worldwide, with Spain reaching 93 percent.