The La Rioja Automotive Cluster offers all interested industrial companies in La Rioja and the Ebro River Valley the first web tool built with real information provided by companies in the competitive environment, which helps to attract and retain talent.

One of the greatest difficulties facing the Rioja industry in recent years has been attracting and/or retaining talent. This challenge, exacerbated by an increase in retirements and a reduction in skilled workers, has a direct negative impact on the competitiveness and sustainability of companies.

In 2024, with the aim of combating this problem, the La Rioja Automotive Cluster launched the first remuneration study of La Rioja and its competitive environment, the result of which has culminated in the development of a tool built with real information provided by companies in the competitive environment, enabling the companies themselves to take measures in the field of talent management. To this end, it has collaborated with Personas y Estrategia, one of the leading companies in local talent management. The project has been co-financed by the Government of La Rioja.

The study, which has made it possible to distinguish between 91 different jobs, has compiled information in its first edition on more than 3,000 workers, such as remuneration, education, distance to the workplace, age, experience in the job, etc.

The study has enabled the Automotive Cluster to obtain general information on the sector, such as:

• The average salary in the automotive industry is 20.45% higher than the average for the rest of the industrial sector and 27.77% higher than the average GDP per capita in La Rioja.
• In terms of gender, only 16.66% of the workforce in the automotive sector are women, but there is no difference in pay between men and women.
• The average salary for women in the automotive industry is 50% higher than the average salary for women in the rest of the industrial sector, which clearly shows how the automotive industry is one of the best retainers of qualified female talent in La Rioja.
• Fifty-one per cent of workers in the automotive industry commute from another municipality to work, compared to 65 per cent in the rest of the industry.
• The average distance travelled by staff in the automotive industry is 16.4 kilometres, while in the rest of the industry it is 19.8 kilometres.
• Only 7.5% of workers in the automotive sector are under 30 years of age, while 51% are over 50, giving an average age of 47.5 years.

With the web-based remuneration calculation tool called ‘CARHET’, companies can find out the most common salary for each position, compare specific remuneration with industry standards and analyse company statistics in relation to others in the region. It even allows them to propose personalised remuneration for each employee, taking into account variables such as experience, training and specific skills. In addition, the tool facilitates more strategic salary management, adapted to an economic context marked by inflation and collective bargaining.

The La Rioja Automotive Cluster invites industrial companies in the region and the competitive environment, such as the Ebro Valley, to join this pioneering initiative, which not only optimises salary management but also strengthens their competitiveness in a complex and constantly changing work environment, to participate in this year’s edition 2025.