People
Inditex’s growth is sustained by 162,450 people that work every day to bring responsible fashion products to our stores. That’s why we promote the professional growth of our employees with working environments that prioritize diversity, equal opportunities, creativity and teamwork.
At Inditex, diversity, multiculturalism, sustainability and respect are values of our DNA: at the end of 2016, our 162,450 employees represented 99 nationalities and spoke 45 different languages.
Inditex is committed to guaranteeing that all its employees enjoy safe and healthy working environments where equal opportunity, work-life balance and professional development are a reality. We are also aware that the Group’s growth goes hand-in-hand with the growth of our people. That’s why in 2016 we continued to offer training programmes and give our employees the possibility of developing a professional career.
During the year, we also worked to ensure that Inditex offers stable, quality employment. With 80% of employees globally on permanent contracts in 2016, we placed an emphasis on guaranteeing shared criteria for action in all areas of our business, as well as specific improvements designed for each country. All of our work streams are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Without a doubt one of the most notable features of our workforce is that women are the majority of our employees. More than three quarters of our employees worldwide are women (76% versus 24% men), although the gap has slowly been reducing since 2010.
The gender ratio across the Group’s areas of activity (stores, logistics, manufacturing, and central services) also favours women – except in logistics, where the proportions are inverted (60% men compared with 40% women). In the case of stores, women account for 79% of our employees and men, 21%. And in central services, women account for 62% of the workforce, while 38% are men.
Examining the composition of our workforce by area of activity, proportions in 2016 remained the same as in the previous year. Store staff is by far the biggest professional group within Inditex, representing 87% of our total workforce. Meanwhile, central services accounted for 7% of the Group’s employees, with logistics staff standing at 5% and manufacturing at 1%.
The other defining feature of our people is their youth. A little over 60% of Inditex’s workforce is aged under 30: a total of 100,089 employees. By region, almost a 30% of our staff is located in Spain, a total of 48,589 people. The rest of Europe accounts for 46% of the Group’s workforce with a total of 74,093 employees. Meanwhile, Asia and the rest of the world account for 13% of the workforce, which translates into 21,423 people. America has a total of 18,345 Inditex employees, or 11% of our workforce.
| RELATED SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS | INDITEX’S CONTRIBUTION | |
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Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. | Inditex continues to be committed to safe and healthy working environments. This commitment, which is set out in our Code of Conduct and Responsible Practices and our Health and Safety Policy, has led us to move forward on implementing OHSAS 18001 certification in our work centres. In our day-to-day work, this takes the form of preventative action, training activities and initiatives to promote healthy habits among our employees. |
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Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and quality education for all. | At Inditex, we believe that each and every one of the people that in our company is the driving force behind what we do. That’s why one of our main priorities is to give our employees training opportunities so that they can acquire new skills and develop their talent. All of Inditex’s areas of activity offer specific technical or skills-based training programmes tailored to the range of roles that exist in the Group. |
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Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. | Women account for 76% of the Group’s total workforce. Gender equality, equal opportunities and work-life balance are basic pillars of our relationship with our employees. In this respect, and in line with our Code of Conduct, we do not tolerate any form of discrimination. Moreover, we create policies that favour maternity and breastfeeding, as well as developing Equality Plans and initiatives to raise awareness of gender equality. |
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Goal 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all. | Continual improvement of the quality of employment we offer is one of Inditex’s priorities. That’s why we set pay policies that support and adapt to the needs of our employees. We also promote staff training and the development of their talents, and we have developed a range of programmes to improve the quality of employment we offer. As part of the strategy, since 2009 Inditex has been a part of a Global Agreement with the UNI Global Union Trade Union Federation to guarantee workers’ labour rights, and sustainable growth. |
OUR PEOPLE IN 2016
Distribution of the workforce by geographical area
In percentages (%)| Overall figures | 2016 |
| Spain | 48,589 |
| Rest of Europe (excluding Spain) | 74,093 |
| America | 18,345 |
| Asia and the rest of the world | 21,423 |
Distribution of the workforce by activity
In percentages (%)| Overall figures | 2016 |
| LOGISTICS | 8,918 |
| STORES | 141,420 |
| CENTRAL SERVICES | 11,202 |
| MANUFACTURING | 910 |
Evolution of the workforce in the last five years
TOTAL EMPLOYEES IN 2016: 162,450
During the last five years, we have created 42,136 jobs worlwide
EUROPE
122,682 employees
| ALBANIA | 178 |
| GERMANY | 5,420 |
| AUSTRIA | 1,428 |
| BELGIUM | 2,378 |
| BELARUS | 24 |
| BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA | 350 |
| BULGARIA | 583 |
| CROATIA | 955 |
| DENMARK | 285 |
| SLOVAKIA | 214 |
| SPAIN | 48,589 |
| FINLAND | 226 |
| FRANCE | 8,450 |
| GREECE | 3,707 |
| HOLLAND | 2,243 |
| HUNGARY | 896 |
| IRELAND | 926 |
| ITALY | 7,388 |
| LUXEMBOURG | 178 |
| MACEDONIA | 155 |
| MONACO | 35 |
| MONTENEGRO | 113 |
| NORWAY | 241 |
| POLAND | 4,417 |
| PORTUGAL | 6,129 |
| UNITED KINGDOM | 5,476 |
| CZECH REPUBLIC | 480 |
| ROMANIA | 2,743 |
| RUSSIA | 10,368 |
| SERBIA | 511 |
| SWEDEN | 797 |
| SWITZERLAND | 1,421 |
| TURKEY | 4,254 |
| UKRAINE | 1,124 |
America
18,345 employees
| ARGENTINA | 789 |
| BRAZIL | 2,789 |
| CANADA | 2,216 |
| CHILE | 862 |
| UNITED STATES | 5,168 |
| MEXICO | 6,208 |
| URUGUAY | 313 |
Asia and the rest of the world
21,423 employees
| AUSTRALIA | 1,588 |
| BANGLADESH | 56 |
| CAMBODIA | 3 |
| CHINA | 11,269 |
| SOUTH KOREA | 1,441 |
| INDIA | 909 |
| JAPAN | 4,325 |
| KAZAKHSTAN | 544 |
| MOROCCO | 5 |
| NEW ZEALAND | 152 |
| SINGAPORE | 3 |
| SOUTH AFRICA | 428 |
| TAIWAN | 691 |
| VIETNAM | 9 |