SPANISH HISTORY IN RELATION TO HUMAN RESOURCE ISSUES The history of the Spanish economy did not take off until 1975 when it finally transformed into a democracy when General Franco and his regime they died. The Spanish once again looked to their king to take them into the unknown territory of democracy and bring them closer to the European Union. During the 20th century only 1/3 of the population had a job or was looking for one. In 1965 record levels were reached in which unemployment was around 38.5%. However this number decreased in the 1980s to around 33%-34%. Compared to other European countries in the 1970s, Spain had the lowest female participation, accounting for 18% of all Spanish women. This compares to Italy, which was around 26%, and Northern Europe, which was around 30% to 40%. However, with benefits, incentives, government policies and legislation, this figure has been increased to approximately 30-40% of the female population working in the workforce. In the late 1980s the Spanish economy was growing. This is mainly due to increased employment, improved equipment, increased industrial production and most importantly government policies. However, the figures might be false to some extent because it was believed that the shadow economy also contributed to the economic boom (http://www.workmall.com). SPANISH LABOR MARKET The Spanish labor market is influenced by tradition and culture, so there are two main reasons that could represent the job market in Spain. First, in addition to economic growth, there is a very high unemployment rate. Secondly, an individual tends to remain unemployed for a long time. Considering the period from 1987 to 1991, unemployment in Spain is equal to 57.4%. So in the 20th century it was around 52.7%, probably because the job market was rigid. After the government allowed widespread use of temporary employment contracts, employment in Spain grew and accounts for more than 90% of new hires. In addition to this, during the 1990s, the Spanish labor market included young workers, women and others with lower levels of qualification were affected by labor turnover.(http://docubib.uc3m.es)Source: ILO : 2003-2004 Key Indicators of Labor Market (Geneva, 2003) (www.ilo.org/kilm) According to the table above, total employment, which includes employees, employers, self-employed workers and so on in Spain since 1997 to 2002, it is based on women with the highest level, continue with male and female.