MADRID, April 3 (Xinhua) -- The increase in the minimum wage approved by the Spanish government in December will have a "neutral" impact on job creation, Spanish Minister for Economy and Business, Nadia Calvino, commented on Wednesday.
Calvino based her conclusions on the unemployment figures for March, which were published on Tuesday and showed a fall of 33,956 in the number of Spaniards out of work to 3.2 million. Meanwhile the number of people contributing to the social security system in Spain rose to over 19 million, the highest level in 11 years.
She confirmed that the economic measures approved by the government, among which was an increase of the minimum wage to 900 euros a month had had a positive impact on the spending power of Spanish families and given a boost to internal demand.
The minister explained that the government predicted the measures would have a "neutral" impact on job creation and highlighted the ability of the Spanish economy to resist uncertainties elsewhere. To back this point up, Calvino pointed out the 2.6 percent growth in Spanish GDP in 2018, which was above the growth rates of most other European countries.
The government predicts a growth of 2.2 percent in Spain in 2019 with much of the growth maintained by increasing internal demand which Calvino described as "the key motor for driving" the economy. (1 euro = 1.12 U.S. dollars)
