Latest news and stories about labor market in Portugal for expats and residents.
Portugal recorded three million tourist arrivals in July, generating 800 million euros in revenue. Despite these record-breaking figures, the tourism industry is struggling with a critical labor shortage as workers increasingly prioritize stability and work-life balance over traditional hospitality roles.
Applications for the Integrar para a Construção training program close this Sunday, July 5th. The initiative offers 500 places for immigrants with valid residence permits to develop technical skills and language proficiency for the construction sector.
Net migration of foreign nationals in Portugal fell by half in 2025 compared to the previous year, according to data from the BdP. The central bank reports that monthly net entries dropped from 13,200 in 2024 to 6,200 in 2025, driven by a combination of fewer arrivals and an increase in departures. The bank warns that this trend may impact employment growth and labor market availability.
Cristina Casalinho explores the vital role of civil society in developing practical solutions for the integration of an unprecedented number of migrants.
Ricardo Gonçalves Cerqueira, CEO of Rekeep Portugal, argues that the Portuguese economy relies heavily on immigrant labor to meet current operational demands, despite rising political pressure to tighten immigration policies.
The National Federation of Education (FNE) reports that Portugal will require a significant increase in new teaching staff over the next decade.
The last decade has been marked by an increase in the number of adults participating in training activities. According to data released this Monday by Eurostat, while just over 10% of adults in the European Union (EU) were undertaking training in 2015, that figure has grown by nearly four percentage points by 2025. The increase was even more...
There is a recurring error when debating the future of work: treating technological disruption as if it were the major transformation. Technology is the trigger, but what really changes is how skills evolve and become valued. It was like this in the Industrial Revolution and the Digital Revolution. In both, ...
The field of study chosen by students has more impact on avoiding unemployment than the type of institution, whether university or polytechnic, public or private. Women continue to earn less.
Portugal has potential, good companies, talent, and knowledge. Transforming these assets into growth is the great challenge.
Even one of the most prominent names in the technology sector has reservations about Artificial Intelligence (AI). In a long essay published on his personal website, Bill Gates warns that world leaders are not doing enough to address the challenges brought by this technology and argues that certain jobs should be “reserved for humans”.
The number of workers on 'lay-off' fell 5.5% in July year-on-year, but rose 37.7% compared to June, following three consecutive months of decline, totalling 3,759, according to data released by Social Security. In July, the total number of 'lay-off' situations with compensatory pay (normal grant, in accordance with the provisions of...)
The number of couples in which both spouses are unemployed has remained stable. On the mainland, the IEFP currently has 260,408 unemployed people registered.
DN reports that the average net salary of politicians and managers soared by more than 17% in the second quarter of this year. Meanwhile, abroad, The Guardian highlights the return of Prince Harry and Meghan.
An overview of the current job market and employment situation in Portugal.
Throughout economic history, the value of a worker has been tied to the scarcity of their skills. However, as knowledge becomes universally accessible, this equation is faltering. The author argues that the impact of technology on employment depends on whether it is used to displace human tasks or to create new ones, a choice that is ultimately moral and political rather than purely technological. The challenge lies in designing institutions that ensure Artificial Intelligence serves human dignity and the common good, rather than reducing individuals to a set of automatable tasks.
The number of workers whose net salary exceeds three thousand euros per month quadrupled between 2016 and 2026, according to an analysis released by Randstad. According to the human resources consultancy, the majority of these employees are male, and more than six out of every ten of these workers are in Greater Lisbon and Porto.
Joel Vasconcelos, general manager of Lusomorango, is the 90th guest on the podcast “E Se Corre Bem?”. He describes his school and academic path as “strange”, since, despite having completed secondary school in the sciences, he ended up pursuing a degree in History. And, curiously, the role he has today has nothing to do with it...
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has sparked controversy by mandating testosterone testing for military personnel over 30, framing it as a longevity initiative. However, experts argue that true longevity is about extending healthy life years rather than just biological interventions. In Portugal, where life expectancy has risen significantly, experts like Professor Celine Abecassis-Moedas emphasize the need for a 'silver economy' strategy. She highlights that companies must shift their mindset to value older workers, as demographic shifts make intergenerational teams a competitive necessity rather than just a social responsibility.
The sector saw a 9% increase in drivers over the past year, driven by a significant rise in drivers from Bangladesh (35%), Cape Verde (29%), and Pakistan (20%).
'There is almost a green lane' for those who want to come to Portugal to work, considered Manuel Castro Almeida, pointing to the drop in the unemployment rate.
Even so, he rejects indiscriminate entries. Furthermore, the General Inspectorate for Health Activities has archived the case of the pregnant woman who lost her baby after visiting five hospitals.
Youth unemployment rate is close to 20%
The right blames Spain for the extraordinary legalisation of immigrants. It turns out that immigrants are necessary to keep an economy running that grew by 2.7% in the second quarter of 2026. A column by Ana Sá Lopes.
A diagnosis is only useful as long as it correctly describes reality. When reality changes, persisting with the same diagnosis inevitably leads to misinterpretations and worse policies. This is increasingly the case with the idea that Portugal is an underqualified country. Not because the education deficit has disappeared, far from it, but...
The unemployment rate stood at 5.6%, the same as the figure for May, but lower than that of March 2026 and June 2025. The labour underutilisation rate was the lowest since 2011.
The unemployment rate, estimated at 5.6% in May and June 2026, reached its lowest level since February 2002, when it was at the same value.
Twenty percent of students at the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança are from Portuguese-speaking African countries. These students have been an asset to the region, and not only after they finish their degree.
The number of employees aged 65 and older continues to rise in Portugal.
90% of 3,174 respondents consider that they work too hard for what they earn. More than 70% say the profession is not attractive and feel evaluated and judged.
