4.4% increase in Spanish minimum wage for 2025, 8% in 2024

The Spanish federation of fruit and vegetable exporters (FEPEX) denounces that the Spanish SMI accumulated a 61% rise since 2018, 8% in 2024 alone. There is no doubt that these increases affect competitiveness to Spanish fruit and vegetable farms. FEPEX recalls that the sector competes directly in the domestic and European market with productions from other countries with lower labor costs per hour. Its Governing Committee, made up of heads of the Spanish associations of each province, assessed this Thursday, February 13, the new SMI of the year 2025. It stands at 1,184 euros per month in fourteen payments or €15.576 the gross annual cosan. It also represents an annual increase of €700 in relation to 2024. It supposes a strong rize of the labor costs compared to the productions of third countries. The commission reminds that Morocco has an average wage for the category of agricultural laborer of 276 euros, Portugal of 870 euros.

Up to 45% of production costs

The federation denounces that the continued rise of the SMI is being regulated without taking into account the reality of the fruit and vegetable sector. It has a very intensive use of labor, this is up to 45% of production costs. Therefore, FEPEX calls for other measures such as the rebate of social security contributions, allowing to gradually assume the increases. It is also concerned about the possible reduction in working hours, which, if approved, will further increase costs. The Spanish agricultural sector accounts for 31% of unskilled workers. For more information, please write here.