Portugal : Job market

What are my chances of getting a job?

The job market in Portugal depends heavily on tourism and the service sector now employs approximately half the working population. Most graduate jobs will tend to be located in the larger cities and unless you are looking to teach English, it is likely to be necessary to speak some Portuguese.

• Typical problems encountered: at the end of February 2010 there were 561 315 people registered as unemployed at job centres in Portugal. This figure is up 19.6% compared with February 2009 (EURES, August 2010). Unemployment is highest among women and young people.
• How to improve your chances: research the job market thoroughly so that you have realistic expectations.
• Language requirements: as a UK graduate, you will probably find it a challenge to get a job at any level in Portugal unless you speak Portuguese, particularly in occupations requiring contact with the public. Portuguese language courses are run in Portugal by many Portuguese institutions and organisations such as CESA Languages and the Eurolingua Institute . A knowledge of other languages, such as English, Spanish, French or German, may be an advantage, particularly in tourism.

Where can I work?

• Major industries: tourism, property and business services, hotel and catering, public services, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, retail.
• Recent growth areas: call and contact centres and shared services centres.
• Shortage occupations: seasonal jobs in the tourism, hotel and catering sector; health sector - doctors (in various specialisms), information technology sector - particularly computer engineers. Call and contact centre management.
• Major companies: Re/Max Portugal, Deloitte, Martifer, McDonalds, Accenture, Pricewaterhousecoopers, Liberty Seguros, Mapfre, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft.
• Search for more companies: Kompass, British Portuguese Chamber of Commerce, Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Guianet, Europages, Portuguese Yellow Pages (Paginas Amarelas) (in Portuguese and English), Paginas Brancas (Portuguese White Pages) (in Portuguese and English).
• Major cities: Lisbon (the capital and largest city), Porto, Vila Novo de Gaia, Amadora, Braga, Almada, Coimbra, Funchal.

What’s it like working in Portugal?

• Average working hours: 40 hours is the usual number of working hours in a week and it is also the legal maximum.
• Holidays: annual leave entitlement is 22 days, plus 13 national public or bank holidays and one council public holiday. Public holidays falling on a Saturday or a Sunday are not observed on the following Monday. Holidays are mainly taken during August, which leads to some factory shut downs.
• Salaries: the statutory minimum wage (retribuição mínima mensal garantida, RMMG) increased from €450 per month in 2009 to €475 per month in 2010. The overall average wage is €804.22.
• Tax rates: general rate tax and national insurance amounts to total deductions of around 25%.
• Working practices and customs: all employees receive a bonus of one month’s salary in June and at Christmas, so in effect they are paid 14 times their monthly salary each year.