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Job Market Lives Contradiction With Lack of Skilled Professionals, Increase in Self-Employment and Companies Struggling to Fill Positions Even With Unemployment at Historic Low
In a scenario where Brazil’s official unemployment rate is at an all-time low, entrepreneurs from various sectors are talking about a true “blackout” of qualified labor. The contradiction has caught the attention of labor market specialists, who point to a combination of factors: low technical qualification, high employee turnover, and a change in behavior among young people, who have begun to prefer self-employment and project-based work.
According to recent data from the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics), the unemployment rate is at 5.6%, a level considered low by Brazilian historical standards. Still, the perception among companies is one of increasing difficulty in finding people with the technical profile required by new technologies and more sophisticated production processes. The information was released by CNN Brasil, based on official data and surveys from the productive sector that reinforce this scarcity picture.
Industry Suffers From Scarcity of Qualified Labor Even With Unemployment at 5.6%
One of the segments most affected by this blackout of qualified labor is the industry. A survey released by the CNI (National Confederation of Industry) showed that 62% of industrial companies report difficulty in hiring professionals with the necessary qualifications to operate machines, deal with new technologies, and work in more complex processes.
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For leaders in the industrial sector, the main bottleneck is precisely in technical and vocational education in Brazil. According to Felipe Morgado, superintendent of Professional and Higher Education at Senai (National Service for Industrial Learning), the country is experiencing a rapid change in labor market demands without the education of young people keeping pace.
He explains that, with the arrival of new technologies and more sophisticated production models, companies are seeking a professional capable of solving complex problems, working in an interdisciplinary manner, and learning continuously. However, the Brazilian educational system still cannot produce this type of worker on a large scale.
According to Morgado, Brazil has a historical problem: although the number of young people completing high school is growing, the percentage with technical training is still low. Thus, the blackout of qualified labor is not just a lack of people, but mainly a lack of people with the skills set that modern industry requires.
Brazil Trains Fewer Technicians Than Wealthy Countries and Strives to React With Sectoral Programs
International numbers help to gauge the problem. According to the Education at a Glance study, about 11% of Brazilian youth who complete high school take vocational courses. In OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries, the so-called “club of wealthy countries,” this participation ranges from 35% to 65%.
In other words, while other economies are building a robust base of technicians and professionals focused on the practical application of knowledge, Brazil still concentrates the majority of young people in educational paths without a direct link to the labor market. This helps explain why companies report a blackout of qualified labor even with unemployment at historically low levels.
In light of this scenario, institutions such as Senai have intensified efforts to bring professional training closer to the real demands of companies. The work now involves offering students qualifications targeted at more technological areas, with greater job offers and higher pay, in an attempt to rebalance the market.
Felipe Morgado cites the creation of sectoral programs focused on strategic segments of the economy. One is aimed at construction, facilitated in partnership with the CBIC (Brazilian Chamber of Construction Industry). Another program focuses on artificial technology, developed in conjunction with Brasscom. Additionally, new initiatives are being structured in sectors such as renewable energy, apparel, and food, precisely to qualify workers and reduce the gap between company needs and the profiles of available professionals.
Increasing Turnover Compromises Team Stability and Worsens the Blackout
The lack of qualified labor is not the only concern for entrepreneurs. The high turnover in the Brazilian labor market also contributes to the blackout and the challenge of maintaining stable and experienced teams.
Data from IBGE and studies compiled by researcher Daniel Duque from FGV Ibre show that, since the pandemic, workers have been changing jobs more frequently. In 2018, less than 12% of Brazilians switched jobs from one year to the next. By 2022, this figure exceeded 14% and is currently at 13.7%.
This means that each year, a significant portion of the workforce chooses to seek new opportunities, requiring companies to invest continuously in recruitment, selection, and training. Moreover, the accumulated knowledge within organizations is lost more quickly, exacerbating the blackout of qualified labor and compromising productivity.
It’s not just the industry that complains about this scenario. The retail sector, especially in the state of São Paulo, also reports increasing difficulties in hiring and retaining professionals. For the sector, turnover has become a true villain, shortening the length of time workers stay and increasing the operational costs of companies.
Retail Records Decline in Average Length of Stay and Feels Pressure on Costs
Studies in the retail sector indicate that the average length of stay in jobs in retail has fallen 7% between 2015 and 2024, reaching only 26 months. In specific segments, such as wood and construction materials, the reduction was even more pronounced, hitting 12% in the same period.
According to economist Kelly Carvalho from FecomercioSP, the pace of employee replacement has accelerated alarmingly. In 2020, the average time for a retail company to replace its entire staff was 2 years and 3 months. By 2024, this interval had fallen to 1 year and 7 months, a decrease considered drastic by specialists.
In practice, this means that many businesses need to recreate their teams practically from scratch in increasingly shorter periods, making it difficult to consolidate an internal culture, increasing the risk of operational errors, and putting pressure on customer service quality.
At the same time, the need to constantly train new employees takes time and resources. For companies already facing the blackout of qualified labor, this combination of high turnover and scarcity of specialized professionals makes the challenge even greater.
Young People Move to Self-Employment and See More Advantages Outside Formal Employment
Experts, entrepreneurs, and headhunters consulted for this report highlight a third element that helps explain the situation: the change in young people’s behavior. Increasingly, they choose to work on digital platforms, in project-based activities, or in their own small businesses, instead of following the traditional path of formal employment.
According to Gustavo Coimbra, director of LHH Brasil, a talent management company, the central issue is the lower attractiveness of formal work compared to other forms of employment. For many young people, working on projects, acting as a service provider, or starting their own business seems more advantageous than being tied to a fixed job with a rigid schedule and predictable routine.
He emphasizes that, in light of this new reality, the talent attraction strategy needs to change. Companies wishing to compete with self-employment and the new economy will have to build more appealing value propositions, offering not only salary and benefits but also flexibility, purpose, and development opportunities. Otherwise, the blackout of qualified labor is likely to worsen.
This movement is evident in the story of Eduardo Lima de Souza, an app driver. He recounts that the first thing that caught his attention was the possibility of acquiring a new vehicle and, from it, ensuring his livelihood. Additionally, the opportunity to organize his own routine, choosing the hours he prefers to work, weighed heavily in his decision.
According to Eduardo, people around him increasingly value autonomy: they want to set their own hours and, as much as possible, define their own salaries. This preference helps explain why so many potential candidates for formal positions have migrated to self-employment, reinforcing the perception of a blackout of qualified labor among companies.
The Challenge is to Make Formal Employment More Attractive and Invest Heavily in Education
Given this picture, experts point out that Brazil will need to address the problem on two main fronts. First, it will be necessary to consistently expand technical and vocational education, raising the participation of young people in vocational courses from the current 11% to levels closer to those observed in OECD countries, between 35% and 65%.
Second, companies will need to rethink their talent attraction and retention strategies, considering that the new generation values flexibility, autonomy, and continuous development. This could include hybrid work models along with more transparent career plans and ongoing training processes.
Until this happens, the country will continue to face a paradoxical scenario: low unemployment, open positions, and a blackout of qualified labor that concerns the industry, commerce, and the entire productive sector. The way government, businesses, and educational institutions react to this challenge could define the competitiveness of the Brazilian economy in the coming years.
Problema é falta de valorização salarial, desde quando surgiu a uber que paga acima do mercado formal, quem vai se matar de estudar para ganhar menos de dois salários minimo? Mais fácil pedir a conta pegar os direitos comprar um carro e meter as caras.
Isso tudo é culpa das empresas mesmo pq não dão um pingo de valor no trabalhador que exerce esses tipos de serviço tratam o trabalhador como escravo pagando um salário **** por isso as pessoas estão deixando esse tipo de trabalho de lado tinham que ser mais é mais valorizado essa classe trabalhadora enquanto isso os empresários que não fazem **** nenhuma ficando cada vez mais ricos nas costas dos trabalhadores
O maior problema que as empresas enfrentam hoje, é por conta da idade dos profissionais de nível superior, notadamente os das áreas da engenharia. Empreendimentos industriais requerem mão de obra experiente, o quê hoje não se encontra, pois esse grupo de profissionais está na faixa etária dos 70 anos e acima. Portanto, ou se muda a filosofia de contratação ou o problema vai continuar existindo por muito tempo.