The difficulty of reconciling flexibility and security in Spain: the paradigmatic case of part-time work

Abstract

The level of part-time employment in Spain tripled during the period 1984–93. The increased prevalence of part-time work reflected an employment policy during that period and beyond that aimed to establish maximum flexibility in the use of fixed-term contracts, whether fulltime or part-time. Part-time work was, and still is, to some extent, associated with a high degree of employment-related precariousness. This article examines the successive and not always consistent measures which since April 1994 have been adopted by the social partners and the government in order to improve the quality and security of part-time work. It assesses to what extent these measures have achieved their objectives.