Spain: Economic slowdown hits open-ended employment

According to official figures, in the first quarter of 2008, just over half a million new open-ended employment contracts were signed, an 11.7% fall on the figure for the same period in 2007, indicating that the economic slowdown is having an effect on employers' recruitment behaviour.

The Ministry of Labour data were analysed in a report from the UGT trade union confederation, published in May 2008.