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Electricity, gas, housing, transportation... With the increase in prices at the start of the year, attention turns to salaries. What will happen in 2024? Raises, frozen salaries? Growth threatens to deflate, so there may be a change in outlook. Any slip will be unwelcome, especially among the younger, worse off.
More expensive. A classic. The year starts and all types of products and services are revised upwards. Since January 1, electricity has been more expensive, as is also the case with gas, telephone bills and tolls. Housing will also suffer the same fate. Steep January slope. Young people are the worst off, they see how everything goes up and their salaries are 35% below the average. Double sentence. And another: the social elevator is linked to education, but it has its limits.
And the salaries? If things cost more, salaries will have to fight. The negotiation of the agreements seems to go in any case on another front, that of reducing working hours. The 40 hours are giving way to 37.5, with 35 already on the table of some political groups, although not of businessmen. Little by little, steps are being taken: Telefónica has agreed with the workforce to be the first large company with a 36-hour work week.
Moderation. It seemed that 2023 was the year of the crisis. From a slowed economy, a dull labor market. It turns out that no one got it right. Employment has increased and consumption and GDP have followed. But now the return of fiscal rules threatens to reduce activity. We will grow less, very attentive to prices and inflation. On that front, central banks also seem to have been left on the wrong foot. With so much rate rise, have they been right or wrong?
Take care of the money. The holidays are behind us, but the sales are coming. Overspending or ending up using credit are bad ideas. Neither false discounts nor flaws, over-indebtedness is the worst trap when buying, and you do it to yourself. Better to keep some savings in case curves come, as it seems that the safest investment options such as Treasury bills and bonds will pay less.
The Tax Agency visits us at the start of the year. And not to bring gifts. Or if? The present of the Treasury consists of this year's income calendar, in which it will be time to settle the personal income tax for 2023. Be careful because the campaign is coming early for everyone.
In this income, it will almost certainly be necessary to declare what has been done on second-hand platforms such as Wallapop, Vinted or eBay. The treasury will be more vigilant about what is sold and for how much, with tax payments involved.
