Female employment advances in Madrid while the pay gap continues to mark differences

Madrid's labour market is showing signs of progress for women, with an employment rate reaching 49%. This figure, above the national 46.6%, reflects a pace of entry into work that is noticeable in the city's offices, shops and services. Female unemployment in the region stands at 7.25%, well below the national 11.2%, allowing many families to look to the immediate future with somewhat greater optimism.

The Government of Isabel Díaz Ayuso interprets this situation as the result of policies which, according to the Director General for Budgets, Gregorio Moreno, are yielding visible results. Moreno highlights that Madrid is the second region with the greatest labour parity after Galicia and stresses that the female activity rate reaches 58.9%, compared with 54.3% nationally. In addition, last February saw the highest number of women registered in the historical series, with 75,938 women in work. The region currently has 3,857,701 contributors, men and women combined.

However, Madrid's trade unions insist that challenges remain. CC.OO warns that 71.1% of part-time employment and 58.5% of temporary contracts fall to women, according to the latest Labour Force Survey. UGT, for its part, says that men earned an average of €8,142 more than women in 2024. Both organisations agree that better employment is not enough unless it is accompanied by specific measures to reduce the gender pay gap and guarantee equal opportunities.

UGT calls for compliance with Article 28 of the Workers' Statute, which seeks to correct the undervaluation of women's work, and proposes creating a Regional Observatory for Pay Equality. This body would make it possible to analyse companies' pay information in detail and establish effective mechanisms to correct inequalities.

The evolution of women's employment in Madrid affects not only those looking for work or stability, but also the pace of neighbourhoods, work-life balance and everyday life. Madrid is already beginning to move in that direction, although the pay gap and temporary employment continue to mark differences felt in the street and in households.

The Asamblea de Madrid, where these figures and proposals are debated, is the epicentre of the decisions that set the region's labour pulse. This space, located in the Vallecas neighbourhood, brings together representatives of all parties and hosts weekly committees where data, demands and strategies are exchanged. The policies discussed there have a direct impact on the lives of thousands of women in Madrid and on the evolution of employment in the city.