Spain: Temporary lay-offs and redundancies increase nine-fold

During the first three quarters of 2009, about nine times more employees were affected by redundancy and temporary lay-off procedures in Spain than in the same period of 2008, as the employment effects of the economic crisis deepened.

Employers seeking to terminate or temporarily suspend employment contracts on economic or technological grounds are obliged by law to draw up an "employment regulation procedure" (Expediente de Regulación de Empleo, ERE), and apply to the labour authorities for authorisation.