Only 0.4% of workers signing a new indefinite contract fail to pass the probationary period. This finding comes from an analysis released on Wednesday by the CCOO of Catalonia, which questions the idea that some companies use probation as a disguised layoff mechanism. The duration of probation depends on the job and can range from one to six months. The union notes that sectors such as hospitality, education, and administrative services have seen a noticeable pattern since the labor reform, with intermittent fixed-term hiring becoming more common. Ricard Bellera, secretary of labor for the CCOO of Catalonia, welcomed the trend, saying that for the first time the growth in the number of jobs aligns with improvements in job quality.
Only 0.4% of all unclear contracts signed each month in Spain were ended by the employer on the grounds that the employee had not completed the probation period. A total of 2,290 workers were dismissed across the country. The share of such terminations has remained roughly stable over the past two years, suggesting that longer probation periods tend to trigger more or less loss of work continuity, while labor reform has changed how this practice operates. In absolute terms, the number of permanent employees laid off has risen, but so has the number of permanent contracts signed, maintaining the roughly 0.4% cap on terminations during probation.
discontinuous constant
The center published a report this Wednesday examining how firms use the longer probationary period under the new standard, and how this affects workforce stability. The signing of permanent contracts, a hallmark of the Catalan and broader Spanish labor market in recent years, has surged—about a 90% increase in recent months—yet still remains a minority approach for new hires. At present, approximately 15% of new hires and only 6% of Catalan workers fall under this arrangement.
At the same time, the report notes that general misuse of this formula by companies is not the main concern. In most cases, it replaces an expired contract for employment and service. The trend is described as a normalization of a more predictable seasonal pattern within the economy. Consequently, guilds that previously had limited exposure to the discontinuous contract model are beginning to see broader use.
In particular, the CCOO of Catalonia identifies rising activity in motor vehicle rental businesses, travel agencies, private security, landscaping, and cleaning services. The study also confirms that the labor reform provides benefits that are broadly shared by men and women, with no significant gender gap in reducing temporary employment. The new rule, however, is not without consequences, and questions remain about whether any disparities persist in specific occupations or sectors.