This is explained by the consequences resulting from the increase in unemployment in Spain at the end of the 1970s and the inherent rigidities in the Spanish labor market. First, individuals have increased the amount of time that they spend on their education with the objective of increasing their likelihood of finding a job. Second, this has led to a mismatch in the labor market between job openings and those looking for a job with differing levels of education. Furthermore, the fact that the education system in Spain has not developed in a steady fashion and that it has occurred simultaneously with an acceleration of technological progress and the opening of the Spanish economy, has also contributed to this mismatch. This has led to a drastic reduction in the relative demand for workers with low levels of education along with a radical increase in the demand for education. This increase in demand for education has resulted in a little planned increase in the amount of resources invested in educational purposes, particularly in higher education. This has led to a weakly-structured educational system.