In the midst of the debate about low wages and rising housing prices, a key question returns: what does how much a person earns really depends? Is it a question of individual decisions Or are there more factors such as the labor market and the cost of living?
Javier Díaz-Giménezprofessor of Economics at IESE, defended this Saturday in laSexta Xplica a clear position on the labor market that generated controversy. Although he recognized that there are external factors that influence the economic situation of citizens, he insisted that the key lies in personal decisions.
“The fault lies with the housing, the fault lies with the cost of living, the fault lies with the taxes, the contributions…”, he listed, before adding: “What I have missed is that it is your fault, me. We each earn what we deserve.”
“How can we not have individual responsibility for how much we charge?”
The economist assured that today there are “opportunities of all kinds” and that “it has never been easier to set up a company, it has never been easier to study, it has never been easier to train.”
According to Díaz-Giménez, the market rewards those who adapt to demand. “If there is a demand for plumbers, then you become a plumber,” he explained. In his opinion, choosing sectors where they pay less means assuming those salaries. “If you insist on working in social services, you will have the salary of social services.”
Economist Gonzalo Bernardos interrupted to point out that “people want to work on their hobbies,” to which Díaz-Giménez added: “And in their town, and in their home, and you clearly can’t do that.” Other speakers recalled that “people want a decent life,” stressing that it is not always easy to choose a job that guarantees a good salary.
To conclude, Díaz-Giménez reiterated that each person is responsible for their level of income. “If you want to earn 3,000 euros, you have to look for a job worth 3,000 euros and if you want to earn 800, then look for a job worth 800,” he said. In his opinion, salary depends largely on individual decisions, regardless of the economic context.