Government trims down

The public sector has started to shave jobs and spending as the effects of cutbacks adopted this year are noticed. Data for Social Security applications show that in the first nine months of the year, the number of government jobs shrank by 60,144 and Education jobs by 120,557. Cutbacks directly influenced the number of substitute teachers and contingent workers, whether teachers or administrative staff, that worked for central and regional governments.

The reduction in the size of the public sector, although it is having a direct effect on jobs, is necessary to reform Spain's government so that they can be more nimble and efficient. We also have to remember that between 2007 and 2011, 300 jobs were added in both sectors.

Current cutbacks have only slashed about half the jobs that were created during the height of the crisis in a vain attempt to minimize the impact it would have on employment. The 180,000 lost jobs, whether from non-renewed contracts or retirement or layoffs, show that the government labor situation is sustainable.

It has been common practice to fill up payroll with temporary contract labor, and this is not sustainable from a budget point of view. The government should keep slimming down, and the challenge will be doing it without crippling how the government runs. Remembering that the patches and partial cutbacks that the Spanish government has carried out until now will be followed up by deep reforms that have yet to be carried out. The latter should address future challenges that Spain is going to face.