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Average wages in Spain at lowest level since 2007

Xinhua, November 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

Average wage in Spain has fallen to its lowest level since 2007, according to figures released by the Spanish Ministry of Finance on Wednesday.

According to data which is based on the tax returns of nearly 16,900,000 workers in Spain in 2014, the average annual wage now stands at 18,420 euros (around 20,000 US dollars).

The highest salaries are found in the capital city of Madrid, where the average worker takes home 24,576 euros. The lowest salaries are recorded in the rural region of Extremadura, where people's annual income is as low as 13,559 euros.

The report shows that salaries showed little fluctuations from 2008 to 2011, and began to fall after the implementation of labor reform in 2012.

The ministry says the fall was not so much due to salaries being lowered for people at work, but that newly created jobs now offer much lower pay than before the crisis.

However, the crisis has no effect on Spain's biggest earners as those who earn 10 times the minimum wage saw their salaries continue to grow. The 127,706 people fell in this category earn an average of 148,824 euros in 2014.

There is also clear gender discrimination in earnings in the highly-paid sector. Women account for just 18 percent of those earning 10 times the minimum wage. Endit