Portugal Jobs and Employment reached its peak since 2005

Portugal Jobs and Portugal Employment reached its peak since 2005: Portugal continues to be a sought-after choice for expatriates, drawing people from across the globe with its great quality of life, rich culture, affordable living costs, pleasant weather, and more. The range of job opportunities for expat professionals, international workers, foreign workers, immigrants is steadily expanding. Portugal capital is Lisbon or Lisboa in Portuguese.

In this article, we will first put sunshine into Portugal latest job market and employment rate. Than, we will explore the Portugal Jobs Market, Eligibility Criteria and How you can apply for Jobs in Portugal! Let’s start.

Portugal Employment Rate reached its highest level

As per latest update, recently Portugal employment rate reached its highest level since 2005 in the second quarter of 2023. This latest report and statistics regarding Portugal Jobs and Employment, are provided by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). OECD is an international organisation, which works in the direction of building better policies to make human life better.

This is really a good and positive sign for the Portuguese economy and job seekers, who are planning to start or build their career in Portugal.

It has been reported for the second quarter of current year – 2023. It shows that Portugal has achieved the highest employment rate and labor force participation rate, irrespective of the recession gripping many European countries.

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is an organisation, which is tracking these statistics from 2005 and 2008, respectively.

Now, this is really a great news for everyone including job seekers, international workers, immigrants and the economy. It is particularly useful, interesting and noteworthy, if you are considering working and starting or building your career in Portugal.

Among the 38 countries that make up the OECD, 19 of them reached record levels in both employment and labor force participation. Yes, Portugal was one of them! This indicates that the job market in Portugal is showing robust signs of growth and opportunity.

In Portugal specifically, the employment rate climbed to 72.4% between April and June. This is higher than the 71.8% recorded in the previous quarter and the 71.6% noted in 2022. These numbers highlight a consistent upward trend, suggesting that Portugal is an increasingly attractive destination for job seekers and Portugal Jobs are on the rise.

But it’s not just Portugal that’s experiencing this positive trend. The second quarter of 2023 saw employment rates exceeding 70% in more than two-thirds of OECD countries. The eurozone and the European Union as a whole also reached record employment values.

So, if you’re thinking about working in Europe in these countries which are noticing – growing employment rate, jobs and career opportunities, now might be a good time.

However, it’s not all sunshine and roses in every other country. Seven countries within the OECD saw a decline in employment rates 😔. From all these seven countries, Turkey had the highest employment rate, standing at 53.6% (although, it is also not a good figure in itself!).

Besides Portugal – France, Italy, and Japan also experienced notable increases in both employment rate and labor force participation. This suggests that these countries, including Portugal, are making significant strides in their job markets and their efforts for creating more job opportunities are really paying off.

Factors contributing to Portugal Jobs Market

Following are some of the factors that have been contributing to Portugal Jobs and Employment growth –

Tourism: First factor is the Portugal growing tourism sector. Portugal is a country of serene beauty and attract tourists from all over the world. Portugal tourism industry is growing and thus creating a number of jobs and employment opportunities in past few years.

Technology and Innovation: Another factor is the Portugal growing investment in technology and innovation sectors. Many new tech start-ups are establishing in Portugal now, thus making it a hub for tech startups and companies. Growing demand for tech professionals and international skilled workers in this sector, is creating new jobs in Portugal.

New Policies: Most crucial factor is initiatives taken by Portugal government. Portuguese government has been implementing a number of policies, taking steps to ease out factors of establishing businesses and companies, which in turn support more jobs creation and support economy.

For example, the Portugal government has reduced taxes for businesses which is being appreciated by businesses and organizations. Government has also been investing in education and training programs, to upgrade more labors into skilled labors and support country’s increasing demand for more skilled professionals and workers. As a result of these efforts, Portugal unemployment rate has fallen to 5.6%, the lowest level since 2008.

Portugal Jobs and Job Market

The job market in Portugal is becoming increasingly welcoming for expats, international workers and immigrants. This country hosts various tech companies and international firms that embrace talent from all corners of the world. This means growing opportunities in fields like IT, marketing, and online tech jobs.

If we talk about other sectors in Portugal, like the real estate and tourism sectors! These sectors are continuously growing in Portugal, providing job seekers with a range of career and job options. Which includes full-time, seasonal, and part-time job opportunities.

If you are eyeing a career or a job in hospitality and tourism, you should be familiar with multiple languages conversations. With respect to languages proficiency, you should be comfortable in speaking English and Portuguese (atleast). Which is a big advantage and required almost everywhere, to work in Portugal.

In Portugal you can start your career by working in a call center. These call center jobs can be a convenient entry point for you, into Portugal labor market. But, be aware that call center jobs and roles are often demanding, in terms of time devotion, shift timings, performance targets etc.

Call centers in Portugal often look for speakers of different languages such as English, German, French, Spanish, or Dutch.

Many jobs exist for international and foreign workers, who are good in language speaking and teaching. Job opportunities exist in these fields for foreign and international workers.

As Portugal manufacturing sector undergoes modernization, certain industries like IT, agriculture, health, and communications face shortages of skilled workers. This translates to plenty of job openings for foreign workers and professionals. Many of these positions require strong educational qualifications, extensive experience, and a good command of the Portuguese language.

And, as is the case anywhere, the highest-paying Portugal Jobs often demand specialized skills.

Portugal Jobs Eligibility Criteria

If you are looking for a job or career in Portugal, first thing is to check your eligibility to work there. Below are the ways mentioned, to check your eligibility for Portugal Jobs and Career Building –

For EU/EEA, EFTA and Switzerland countries citizens or workers: For citizens or workers from The European Union (EU) (European Economic Area (EEA)), which consists of 27 countries plus 3 countries from the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and Switzerland – the good news is that you don’t need an official work permit or visa to work in Portugal.

But there is a mandatory condition to continue working in Portugal! You should get a job with consistent earning and you should apply for residency permit within six months of your arriving in Portugal. Your job should have a steady income, else your residency application might be rejected. And, if you miss the six-month deadline, there could be penalties.

For other countries citizens or workers: Now, for the labors, workers and professionals coming from other countries other than above mentioned countries, it is a bit different. These countries foreign workers, have to obtain a visa and a work permit to work legally in Portugal before arriving. The best and the safest route to kickstart or build your career in Portugal is to secure a job first, before starting anything else.

The above mentioned ways or process is an important part of starting your career in Portugal. First make sure that you have the right job, necessary visa, work permits and documentation to establish your career and work within the legal framework in Portugal.

It is crucial to stay informed and updated about the specific visa requirements for your situation, especially if you’re not an EU/EEA citizen or from Switzerland.

Seeking professional advice can be a wise step to navigate this process smoothly.

Key Points:

1. Eligibility to Work in Portugal: First check your eligibility to work in Portugal based on your citizenship and the need for permits.
2. EU/EEA and Swiss Citizens: Citizens from EU/EEA nations (European nations) and Switzerland do not require an official work permit, but they have to find a job and apply for residency within six months of moving to Portugal.
3. Job and Income Requirement: For EU/EEA and Swiss citizens, having a Portugal job that provides regular income is crucial. If you fail to do so, this may result in a denied visa application.
4. Deadline Importance: Missing the six-month visa application deadline for residency can lead to penalties. It is crucial for your residency in Portugal.
5. Foreigners from Other Countries: Non-EU/EEA citizens, foreign workers outside of Europe, need to obtain a visa and work permit to work legally in Portugal and apply to Portugal Jobs.
6. Secure a Job First: It is advisable for both EU/EEA citizens and non-EU/EEA citizens to secure a job, before relocating to Portugal to ensure a smoother transition and compliance with legal requirements.

Best Job Search Websites in Portugal

Net-Empregos: This is the most popular job posting site in Portugal. It has over 35,995 active job offers and around 4,882,371 active candidates registered under them.

Indeed Portuguese: Indeed Portugal is the biggest job search website not only in Portugal, but around the world. Indeed Portuguese is a very useful job search website with a large number of candidates profiles and bulk of job opportunities with abundance to companies, using this effective platform to hire most suited workers or professionals.

IEFP: This is the official website of the Portuguese Institute of Employment and Professional Training (IEFP). It provides a wide range of Portugal jobs and services to job seekers and employers.

Emprego.Sapo.pt: This is a general job website that offers a wide range of job opportunities in Portugal.

SuccessFactors.eu: This is a cloud-based human resources management system that provides a wide range of services to employers and job seekers.

Minimum Salary and Average Salary in Portugal

As of 2023, the current minimum salary or wage in Portugal is €665 per month. The minimum wage is updated annually considering the cost of living, national productivity, and the government’s prices and incomes policy.

The average salary or wage in Portugal was €1,148.29 previously, in the second half of 2018. When we talk about recent salary trends, in 2023 things are changed, according to a recent report by Expatica, Portugal average salary is now – €24,521 per year.

However, it is still far lower than the OECD average, and below the average wage in Spain, Italy, and France.

Conclusion

In summary, the latest OECD data paints an optimistic picture of Portugal jobs for job seekers and the economy. If you’re looking to work in Portugal or any of the OECD countries, the current employment trends indicate a favorable environment with ample opportunities for professional growth.

We can conclude that Portugal jobs market is growing strongly and rapidly. There are plenty of prominent jobs and career options available in Portugal different sectors for skilled foreign workers. So why wait? Start studying Portugal job landscape, apply for visa and most importantly learn Portuguese (atleast basic speaking) and explore building your career in Portugal.

Espero que você tenha gostado do artigo. Muitas felicidades em sua busca por emprego 👍