La ministra Elma Saiz inaugura el III Foro sobre los retos de la formalización laboral en Iberoamérica

The Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, inaugurated this Thursday in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) the III Forum on Challenges of Labor Formalization in Latin America, a meeting that brings together representatives from different countries of the region to address strategies that promote formal employment and strengthen social protection.

In his speech, Saiz highlighted the measures implemented by the Government of Spain in recent years to improve the quality of employment and guarantee decent working conditions. One of the main axes of his inaugural speech has been the reinforcement of the Minimum Interprofessional Salary (SMI), which has increased by 61% in seven years, going from 735 euros in 2018 to 1,184 euros today.

“This increase in the minimum wage has been a decision of social justice and a firm commitment of the Government of Spain to the workers of the country. In general, we have made many improvements to expand rights, reduce inequalities and facilitate access to Social Security, better protecting workers, self-employed people, students and vulnerable groups,” the minister stressed.

The minister has focused on the informality of work that women and young people also play, who are relegated to “more precarious” and “intermittent” jobs. To this end, it has urged the strengthening of affiliation to guarantee access to fundamental rights such as health care, pensions or protection against occupational risks, thus contributing to the well-being of workers and their families.

“We need strong partnerships between governments, employers, workers and civil society to build an environment where work as a guarantee of protection, rights and the maximum possible coverage against contingencies is an absolute reality,” said the minister.

Saiz has also participated in the panel ‘Successful Experiences of Ibero-American Countries’, where he has valued the advances achieved in the Spanish labor market thanks to the labor reform of 2022. This regulation, fruit of the consensus with the social agents, has allowed us to achieve historic levels of stability in employment.

“Spain has gone from being a country with a labor market marked by temporality to being a benchmark in stability. Today, the vast majority of the new contracts that are signed are indefinite. This means that thousands of workers today have greater security and better prospects for the future,” he explained.

In addition, the Inclusion holder has highlighted the positive impact of the Minimum Vital Income (MVI), a policy that has made significant progress in the fight against poverty and social exclusion. “The IMV has been a shield of protection for millions of people. It was designed with a clear goal: to ensure that no one is left behind. And we’ve done it. This measure has not only reduced poverty, but has also allowed many families to find new opportunities to move forward.”

Another of the data that the minister has put in value is the historical record of affiliation to Social Security in Spain, which in March 2025 has reached 21.5 million affiliates and affiliates. “Never before in our history have we had so many people working and paying social security contributions. This is a reflection of the strength of our economy and the success of the policies we are implementing.” He has also stressed that this growth in affiliation is a key indicator of the good state of the Spanish labor market and the effectiveness of the measures adopted in recent years.

During her speech at the forum, the minister stressed the importance of continuing to make progress in the formalization of employment and the improvement of working conditions in all Ibero-American countries. “Formal employment is synonymous with rights, stability and progress. We must continue to work together so that more and more workers have access to quality jobs, with social protection and a decent wage,” he concluded.