Closing on Sundays: €24k Salary Finds No Candidates in Burgos

Closing on Sundays: the €24,000 salary that no baker in Burgos can find

In Burgos, a bakery has decided to close on Sundays after failing to find workers willing to cover the position. The manager, Marimar, pays €1,600 in 15 installments, totaling €24,000 annually. She admits that employees "burn out after a month or two" and she cannot retain anyone. The news, which has sparked intense economic controversy, brings to the forefront an issue that goes beyond mere salary offers: in a labor market where the average price of work is similar, why won't this job attract anyone?

A median salary for a demanding effort

The annual figure of €24,000, derived from multiplying €1,600 by 15, sits at the median wage in Spain. According to the INE's (National Institute of Statistics) 2024 Annual Wage Structure Survey, the median salary in Spain was €24,497 and the most common wage was €16,520. Quantitatively, the bakery's offer is not bad: it is exactly halfway through the distribution. However, the job requires waking up at three in the morning, working standing up next to a wood-fired oven, and accepting Sundays and holidays. The “premium for difficulty” that the market should theoretically provide is absent. As one analysis summarized: "It pays the national median, but the difficulty and schedule are not paid for separately."

The final net: €1,300 and housing that eats half

The technical calculations indicate that a gross salary of €1,600 translates to about €1,300 net. In a city like Burgos, a modest apartment rental is around €800. Adding basic expenses, the worker is left with less than €500 for everything else. The irony of “in this country, you can only survive if your siblings cram 14 into a tiny place” summarizes the impossibility of becoming independent. This is the paradox: the salary is statistically correct, but the cost of living has risen to a point where the compensation does not guarantee a dignified life. Housing, and not the salary itself, becomes the bottleneck.

The tax burden: a problem of taxes or prices?

Another body of analysis blames the situation on tax pressure. For the worker to receive €1,300 net, a portion of the paycheck goes to the State, and the employer also bears contributions. In total terms, the cost for the business could exceed €2,300 per month, of which the worker only receives half. The argument is: “The State takes half of what is produced, without having to wake up early or sweat.” However, many point out that taxes are not the only factor: if the business cannot find workers, perhaps the price of the final product is inappropriate. The comparison with the sourdough loaf priced at 20 cents shows that the business's profitability is questionable.

The solution: raise wages or change the model?

The discussion leads to the classic dilemma: if workers cannot be found, should they pay more or close down? Some argue it is a market matter: if the company cannot be profitable paying the minimum, it should close or modify its business model. Others point out that SME margins are much smaller than believed and that the State is the first partner. Marimar's decision to close on Sundays is the most pragmatic exit. Meanwhile, customers who want bread on Sundays know what they are getting into. The next time a worker shortage occurs in any sector, the question will be the same: why does no one want this job? The answer, according to the data, lies in the mismatch between what is offered and what it costs to live.