In 2020, nearly three in ten women earned the minimum interprofessional salary (SMI) or less, a gap that speaks to a widening gender pay divide in Spain during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic. This year carried distinct consequences for those on the lowest rungs of the Spanish labor market, with the trend showing up in overall earnings as well. The common gross pay for the typical worker hovered around 1,320 euros across 14 payments, a figure captured by the INE salary structure survey released on a Wednesday. The survey focuses on official payroll amounts and highlights shifts in income that affected a broad segment of workers, particularly those with the lowest incomes.
Data for 2020 show that 27.5 percent of women earned 950 euros gross or less in 14 payments, compared with 11.9 percent of men in the same bracket. A year earlier, before the minimum wage increase from 900 to 950 euros, these shares were 25.7 percent for women and 11.1 percent for men. In other words, the share of low-income workers rose for both genders as the SMI increased, but the rise was more pronounced among women. On the other end of the spectrum, 3.7 percent of men earned five times the SMI or more in 2020, contrasted with 1.9 percent of women in the same high-income category. According to the INE report, these movements reflect how wage policy shifts influence earnings distribution across gender lines, with a measurable impact on the lowest-paid workers and a comparatively smaller expansion among those at the top of the pay scale. The implications touch on economic security, household budgeting, and the broader conversations about equal pay that have persisted through the pandemic era and beyond, as researchers and policymakers scrutinize the balance between wage floors and the cost of living. The figures underscore the necessity of continued monitoring of wage structures and targeted measures to address persistent disparities that affect women in particular, while also recognizing that wage dynamics affect all workers who rely on the minimum pay framework. The INE salary structure survey remains a crucial source for understanding these shifts and guiding discussions on fair compensation in Spain.