Spain public sector temporary employment

In late July 2026 Spanish municipalities began adjusting temporary‑staff levels to meet the 8 % ceiling imposed by the 2021 stabilization law. León reduced its temporary‑employment share from 29.5 % to 7.5 %, joining other Castile‑and‑León towns that have complied with the legal limit. Simultaneously, the Valencian government authorized urgent temporary‑employment pools for cultural institutions, the Castellón airport and emergency‑services agencies, aiming to fill short‑term staffing gaps.

Two days later, national data showed Spain’s public administration employing a record 3.07 million workers, with temporary contracts still comprising about 30 % of the workforce (936,000 staff). While the state sector’s temporary rate was low (3.5 %), autonomous communities and local authorities continued to rely heavily on interim hires, especially in health, non‑university teaching and regional administration. The contrast highlights localized efforts to curb temporariness against a broader structural dependence on short‑term contracts across the public sector.