"The time has come to improve conditions for businesses so they can hire, a decent cost cut for those that contract (new workers) right now," Valeriano Gomez said during a radio interview with Cadena Ser.Spain's unemployment rate was 20.3 percent in the fourth quarter, more than double the European Union average and the highest in the region.Almost 3 million people have been laid off since the property bubble burst in 2008, many from the collapsed construction sector and the struggling service sector.The programme would also help to regulate up to 150,000 workers currently paid cash-in-hand, he said.The black economy in Spain is worth around 200 billion euros ($272 billion), or 20 percent of the economy, according to some estimates.Spain's economy is under intense scrutiny by investors concerned that high unemployment and stagnant growth will force the government to apply for an Ireland-style bailout from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.