One of Europe's hardest hit economies is finally catching a break on jobs: The number of Spanish workers registered as unemployed fell by 107,600 last month, the best result for December on record.

On a seasonally-adjusted basis, the decline was 57,645, marking a fifth consecutive decrease, according to a government report Friday.

The eurozone's fourth biggest economy slumped after a housing bubble burst and many of its banks required hefty bailouts.

Spain is still facing a jobs crisis. Nearly 35,000 people applied for 200 health care positions when they were advertised last November.

The Spanish government began a program of austerity to control its budget deficit and implemented structural reforms aimed at improving productivity. Exports have recovered as a result, helping to stabilize GDP in the third quarter of 2013 after years of recession.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has predicted a recovery in 2014. And in a radio interview earlier this week, Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said job creation could beat government forecasts.

But labor unions say most of the jobs being created in Spain each month are part time and temporary, with a third providing less than four hours work a day.

Some 92% of new employment contracts last year were temporary, and the number of permanent jobs being created has been in decline for 12 months.

(Source: CNN)