Temporary work contracts have decreased by two-thirds

The fall in demand for temporary employment has meant that many seasonal workers have simply not been able to work or, where they have been able to, they have worked for a shorter period than normal. Much temporary work is in hotels, which were closed from mid-March and didn't begin to open until the end of June. Many have now closed again because of the drop in the number of tourists caused by travel restrictions. There has therefore been only a couple of months work at best.

It isn't only hotels of course. Bars, restaurants, clubs, transport, shops; these are some of the other sectors where seasonal work is traditional. At the same time, the majority of businesses have had to place permanent and "fijo discontinuo" personnel on to ERTE terms. Many of the businesses have not been in a position to bring these employees back to work, while there was an understanding that businesses would prioritise employees with fixed contracts over hiring temporary workers. What benefits which may have been available to seasonal workers have now dried up.

In March, 18,374 temporary employment contracts were signed. In March 2019, the number was 30,514. The peak month last year was May, when there were 56,968 temporary contracts. This May, the number was 8,969. In July there was a doubling in the number of contracts compared with June; the July figure was 28,290 (it was 49,654 last year). For August, it can almost certainly be anticipated that there will have been a decrease.