Latest news and stories about collective redundancies in Portugal for expats and residents.
DGERT data show notified collective redundancies rose by about 11% in 2025 to 552 — the highest annual total since 2020 (698). The January–December 2025 figure and monthly patterns indicate a rising trend in collective layoffs, with numbers approaching levels seen during the Covid‑19 pandemic, signalling renewed pressure on the labour market and potential legal and social implications for affected sectors.
Monthly data from DGERT indicate a rising trend and numbers comparable to those seen during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The number of reported collective redundancies increased by about 11% in 2025 compared with the same period the previous year, totalling 552. It is necessary to go back to 2020 to find such a high figure, when it reached 698, according to data released today by DGERT.
Of the 515 collective redundancies reported by companies in the first 11 months of last year, 174 involved micro‑enterprises, 207 involved small companies, 84 involved medium‑sized companies and 50 involved large companies.
Regionally, the Lisbon and Tagus Valley leads, with 254 collective redundancies notified through November 2025.
Of the 515 collective redundancies reported by companies in the first 11 months of last year, 207 were at small companies, 174 at microenterprises and 50 at large companies.
Experts point to US customs tariffs and artificial intelligence as possible causes for the increase in collective redundancies, which by October had already surpassed the total for the whole of 2024.
