The Minister of Labor publishes the report that analyzes the percentage by which the SMI must grow in 2023

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Between 46 and 82 euros. This is the fork that the commission of experts on the interprofessional minimum wage (SMI) has proposed for the new increase for 2023. This Monday, the group of academics gave the Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, the report that analyzes the increase for next year, the last of the legislature of the government of Pedro Sánchez. The current figure for the interprofessional minimum wage in Spain is 1,000 euros per month gross in 14 payments. Therefore, if the minimum increase that is proposed is approved, the SMI would remain at 1,046 euros per month, while the maximum would place the minimum wage at 1,082 euros. These are increases of between 4.6% and 8.2%.



Specifically, the experts have put four scenarios on the table. The first, with an increase of 46 euros that would place the SMI at 1,046 gross euros per month; a second scenario that foresees an increase of 54 euros (1,054 euros per month); in the third scenario there is an increase of 66 euros (1,066 euros) and, finally, a higher increase of up to 82 euros per month, which would place the minimum wage at 1,082 euros per month gross in 14 payments.



The proposal, however, is not binding, experts remind. The final decision will be made by the Spanish government, under the baton of the Ministry of Labour , which will also consult and negotiate with the social agents - the majority unions and employers - this Wednesday, Díaz anticipated this Monday. In any case, it does serve as a guide. Despite the fact that the Minister of Labor has not wanted to anticipate what figure she will opt for, the unions have asked for an increase of 100 euros and, therefore, they are on the highest stage, while the employer has shown reluctance to a increase. In addition, it is also necessary to see if the employer will attend the meeting after last week, following the changes announced in the control of the EROs, it threatened to break bridges with Díaz's portfolio.


When the PSOE governed alone, in 2018, it agreed with Unides Podemos a historic increase in the SMI for 2019 of up to 900 gross monthly euros in 14 payments. This was a 22.3% increase compared to the minimum wage then in force (735.9 euros per month). But it wasn't the last. Already with the coalition government formed, the increase for the year 2020 arrived (950 euros); that of 2021, in the midst of the covid-19 crisis (965 euros) and, finally, the current figure, an interprofessional minimum salary of 1,000 euros per month.




"There is no doubt that the SMI is a useful measure to reduce inequality and the fight against poverty," said the professor at the University of Alcalá and member of the group of experts Inmaculada Concepción Cebrián López this Monday in Press conference. In fact, in this new report the group of academics also had to analyze what impact the latest price increases have had on the socio-economic conditions of families. Cebrián has detailed that between 2018 and 2020 up to 250,000 people left the "risk of poverty" thanks to the increases, of which 121,000 were under 30 years old. It also helped reduce inequality by between 3.4% and 3.8%, according to experts.


One of the other particularities of this report is that Yolanda Díaz's team has asked the group of experts to take into account inflation, which in November stood at 6.8% , leaving behind the peak recorded in July (10.8%). "The increase in prices affects more intensively the families with the lowest income, among which are the recipients of the SMI", points out the report, which recommends reviewing after six months the impact of the approved salary increase "to assess its sufficiency in an inflationary context".




60% of the average salary



After signing the European Social Charter, Pedro Sánchez's executive promised that the SMI would be 60% of the net average salary in Spain when the legislature ends. In order to calculate this, however, the experts had to make an approximation of what the average net salary is in Spain this 2022. In this sense, it is emphasized that the lack of salary statistics "makes it difficult" to conclude an approximation, hence the different scenarios. The average estimate, however, and which would be closer to 60% of the net average salary, is the third scenario: an SMI of 1,066 euros per month gross.