Temporary jobs are on the rise across Europe, most notably in Spain, a country that has the fastest job growth in the Eurozone. But some claim that the jobs that are created are less than meaningful.

In the early morning in southern Madrid, a long line of people are already waiting outside a job center. The Spanish economy is growing at one of the quickest rates in the Eurozone, however the aftermath of a long, harsh recession remains.

The unemployment rate remains high in Spain, with almost 19 percent of residents out of work, which is the second highest in the Eurozone behind Greece. Of the half a million jobs that have been created over the last twelve months, most are temporary contracts, with companies reluctant to offer permanent positions that come with greater employment protections.

Professor Gonzalo Gomez Bengoechea from Comillas Madrid University shared his opinion on this issue. According to him, companies don’t have any incentive to offer education, training and information because companies don’t expect young people to stay for long and temporary employment become a solution.

Temporary contracts now account for 26% of the overall job market. Adding to Spain’s woes is the stubbornly high youth unemployment rate. Almost 43 percent of all those under the age of twenty-five are without work, and the jobs that are offered are normally temporary contracts.

There has been at least one positive to come from the recession and the potential of a short-term badly paid contract: an increase in entrepreneurship. With a lack of choices, Madrid has become one of Europe’s key startup cities and led to Google opening a Madrid campus in 2015.

But for many, the traditional Spanish labor market continues to frustrate people, and some feel further reforms are necessary. Spain may well lead the Eurozone in job creation, but many here remain far from satisfied.