Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
5 min of reading 
46 comments 
With The Unemployment Rate At The Lowest Level In History, FGV IBRE Research Shows That More Than 60% Of Companies Face Difficulties In Hiring Or Retaining Workers, Elevate Salaries And Benefits, Extend Work Hours, Pass Costs To Final Prices, And Accelerate Investments In Automation And Technology To Maintain Production
The Brazilian labor market ended 2025 with unemployment at the lowest level in history, but more than 60% of companies face difficulties in hiring and retaining workforce, with direct impacts on costs, deadlines, and internal organization of companies.
A survey conducted by FGV shows that the difficulty of hiring and retaining workforce has ceased to be a sporadic phenomenon and has become a structural characteristic of the Brazilian labor market throughout 2025.
The survey indicates that 62.3% of companies report problems filling vacancies or retaining employees, a percentage higher than that observed in the previous round. The lack of workforce reflects the combination of a heated labor market with a historically low unemployment rate.
-
Lula responds directly to Trump and says that Pix is from Brazil and will not change under pressure from anyone, after a report from the United States pointed out the Brazilian payment system as an American trade barrier.
-
Amazon has just announced a new fee on all deliveries, and your online purchases will become more expensive starting April 17, including for those buying from the United States here in Brazil.
-
He sold his share for R$ 4 thousand, saw the company become a giant worth R$ 19 trillion, and missed the opportunity of a lifetime.
-
Elon Musk’s Starship megafrocket puts $8 billion at risk, raises alarms in the market, and could affect technology, mining, and space internet startups in the coming years.
This scenario has increased the bargaining power of workers and reduced the number of people effectively available for new hires, putting pressure on companies across various sectors.
Heated Labor Market Increases Workers’ Bargaining Power
The difficulties observed in 2025 did not arise suddenly. In 2024, the labor market was already showing significant warming, and the first round of the survey indicated percentages close to 60% of companies with hiring problems.
By the end of 2025, this index surpassed that level, indicating a worsening situation. The increase in workers’ bargaining power is cited as one of the main explanatory factors.
With fewer people looking for jobs and a greater number of available opportunities, workers can choose where to work and negotiate better conditions, both in terms of salary and benefits. This shift affects both those already employed and those seeking a new position.
Another factor is the level of economic activity. The transition from 2024 to 2025 was marked by a slowdown in some segments, which slightly reduced pressure in specific sectors.
Nevertheless, the combination of heated activity and labor shortages remained relevant for most of the companies analyzed.
Construction Leads Difficulties, Followed By Services And Commerce
The survey reveals significant differences between sectors. The construction sector appears as the most affected segment, with 69.1% of companies reporting difficulties in hiring or retaining workers.
The sector faces challenges both in hiring basic labor and qualified professionals, directly impacting the deadlines and costs of construction projects.
In the services and commerce sectors, the percentage of companies facing difficulties approaches 65%. These segments are dealing with high turnover and increasing demands from workers for better salaries and benefits, as well as greater flexibility in working conditions.
The industry, in turn, showed a slight decline in 2025, falling just below 60%.
This reduction in the industry is related to the slowdown in activity in the sector. Still, the level of difficulty remains high and reflects the overall dynamics of a labor market that has been heated for over a year, with persistent effects on people management.
Companies Expand Benefits And Invest In Internal Training
The survey also identified changes in workers’ behavior, perceived indirectly through the actions adopted by companies.
One of the most frequent responses has been the expansion of benefits and the offer of higher salaries as a way to attract and retain professionals in a competitive environment.
This movement reflects the increase in salary expectations, both from employed workers and those outside the labor market.
The increase in government aid is also cited as an element contributing to make candidates more demanding regarding the minimum remuneration accepted for a new job.
At the same time, investment in internal training is growing. Many companies have begun to qualify workers who are already part of the team, preparing them to take on more complex roles.
This strategy seeks to address the difficulty of finding ready professionals in the market and, at the same time, create opportunities for internal promotion, reducing turnover.
Increase In Working Hours And Cost Pass-Through Gain Ground
The consequences of the labor shortage became more evident in 2025. Compared to 2024, the percentage of companies stating that they do not suffer significant impacts has decreased.
The main reported effect is the increase in workers’ hours, through overtime, extended shifts, or reorganization of schedules.
This adjustment is mainly observed in the manufacturing industry and construction, where the lack of personnel leads to prolonged hours to maintain production and meet contracts. The result is greater pressure on workers and risks associated with increased physical and operational wear.
The second most cited impact is the pass-through of costs to the final price of products and services. With higher salaries and benefits, companies absorb part of the increase but also transfer some of those costs to consumers.
This movement is pointed out as a potential source of inflationary pressure, as it spreads across different sectors.
In third place are delays in deliveries, especially in construction. The difficulty in hiring qualified professionals can delay the execution of projects and service delivery, affecting schedules and business relationships. This effect, although reported by a smaller percentage of companies, gained relevance in 2025.
Automation And Technology Advance As A Structural Response
One of the movements that has grown the most between 2024 and 2025 has been companies’ attempts to rely less on direct labor. The survey indicates that the adoption of automation and technologies, including artificial intelligence, has begun to be seen as a strategy to address labor shortages.
Companies have reviewed internal processes to identify stages that can be automated or reorganized, reducing the need for personnel in certain roles. This change does not eliminate the demand for workers, but allows for concentrating investments in more qualified and harder-to-find professionals.
The difficulty in training qualified labor in certain regions can take years to overcome. In light of this, companies seek solutions involving technology and internal restructuring, whether to replace specific occupations or to save resources and redirect them to strategic hires.
This set of measures reveals a gradual adaptation of companies to a structurally heated labor market.
The labor shortage, far from being a temporary phenomenon, has been shaping decisions about salaries, benefits, work organization, and investments in technology, with lasting impacts on the Brazilian economy and the day-to-day of companies, even in the face of minor adjustments observed throughout the analyzed period.
The study Business Surveys Labor Shortage can be accessed by clicking this link.
Nada de trabalhar por estes salários de ****. 😡
Excelente matéria, pra quem tá reclamando é pq vive de benefícios ou não liga de ganhar pouco pq só sustenta a si mesmo e não uma família com 4 pessoas com um salário mínimo. Vão tomar ****. Que adianta trabalhar de mais e ganhar pouco? Vão estudar vcs, ou melhor, vão viver, pq quem trabalha direto não tem nem direito a viver bem pq não tem nem tempo de cuidar da saúde
Matéria sem embasamento nenhum; senta a banda e vai estudar estagiário!