The number of temporary contracts in Spain that were converted to indefinite contracts stood at 407,900 in the first half of 2018, up 17.7% from the same period last year and the highest figure since 2008, according to data from Randstad Spain.

The 407,900 figure is second only to 2008’s figure of 432,700 conversions. Randstad’s data showed that during the first six months of 2017, 36.3% of permanent contracts came from a fixed-term contract.

Randstad found that among sectors, the services sector recorded the most conversions during the H1 2018 period with 303,172 temporary contracts converted to indefinite contracts. This was followed by construction (61,530), industry (31,579) and agriculture (11,705). Compared to the previous year, the agriculture sector saw the biggest increase in conversions (39% growth).

In the industrial sector, more than half, or 50.9, of permanent contracts was converted from a fixed term contract.

Among regions, the conversion of temporary contracts to permanent contracts recorded growth in all regions, with Euskadi (31.6%), Asturias (31.2%) and Navarre (29.7%) leading the way in year-on-year growth.