The six main Spanish banking entities –Santander, BBVA, CaixaBank, Sabadell, Bankinter and Unicaja Banco– closed 1.3,60 branches throughout Spain during 2022. At the end of December, the number of branches stood at 10.50 in , according to the data compiled in the financial reports published by the banks themselves in recent weeks.
In addition, they ended 2022 with a workforce of close to 120,600 workers, which is 5,800 fewer employees than in 2021, when they had teams that totaled 126,500 people.
If compared to the situation in September, the branch network has been reduced by 100 branches, while the number of employees has increased by 300 people, in such a way that the rate of closures and worker departures slowing down. had produced in banking in recent years.
Bet on digital service
During the pandemic, and with the aim of gaining efficiency, the sector undertook a code that has reduced its network of branches and its workforce, betting, instead, on offering more and more digital services. The mergers that took place in 2021 between CaixaBank and Bankia and Unicaja and Liberbank have also been aimed, in part, at achieving synergies that allow them to operate in an increasingly competitive environment.
However, this process has not been without its problems. Specifically, at the beginning of last year, the retired Carlos San Juan began a campaign to request more attention to the group of older people, who generally have more difficulties adapting to digitalization. The sector reacted with measures to ensure this personalized attention to both the elderly and people with disabilities.
The rural environment has also been affected by the closure of these offices. To this end, the bank has signed an agreement with Correos to facilitate access to financial services in ’empty’ Spain and has promised to ensure, within six months, at least one face-to-face access point to banking services in all municipalities with more than 500 inhabitants and, if it is not achieved within that period, to install generic ATMs within an additional period of six months.
Santander, BBVA and Bankinter, hold on
By entities, Santander had 1,913 branches in Spain at the end of December, practically the same figure as in 2021, and a workforce of 26,839 workers, 0.62% more in the interannual rate. BBVA also maintained its network of 1,886 branches and increased its number of employees by 4.4%, to 25,945 people.
CaixaBank, on the other hand, reduced its branch network in Spain by 17.89%, to 4,081 facilities, compared to 4,126 at the end of 2021, and its workforce fell 11.18% to 40,221 workers. For its part, Unicaja Banco closed 400 branches in 2022, which represents a decrease of 29.24%, reaching a network of 968 branches. The number of employees at the end of December was 7,835, 15.43% less than in 2021.
Finally, Bankinter maintained its branch network at 446 points and increased its workforce by 4.58%, to 6,419 employees, while Sabadell cut its number of branches by 4.60%, to 1,243, and by 6 .26% its number of workers, up to 13,413.
