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Labor shortage and social programs appear in the same scenario where companies report persistent difficulty in hiring, with greater pressure on technical sectors, digital functions, valued behavioral skills, and more demanding selection processes in the Brazilian market.
Brazil reached 2026 with 80% of employers reporting difficulty finding professionals, according to the Talent Shortage Survey 2026, published by ManpowerGroup on February 25 of this year.
Above the global average of 72%, the index maintains the lack of qualified labor among the main bottlenecks for Brazilian companies, especially in activities that require technical skills, constant adaptation, and greater digital proficiency.
At the same time, Bolsa Família continues to serve millions of households in the country, in a social framework that helps dimension the contrast between open positions, family income, and difficulty in productive insertion.
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In June 2026, the program reached more than 19.34 million families, with an investment of R$ 13.08 billion and an average benefit of R$ 677.66 per household, according to the Ministry of Social Development and Assistance.
Even so, the ManpowerGroup survey does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship between the social program and the hiring difficulty pointed out by Brazilian employers in the talent shortage survey.
The study measures companies’ perception of the lack of available professionals and points out a mismatch between the skills required by employers and the competencies found in the labor market.
Labor shortage remains high in Brazil
Conducted with more than 39,000 employers in 41 countries, the survey included 1,020 interviews in Brazil and gathered information used to measure the hiring difficulty forecast for 2026.
Between October 1 and 31, 2025, the fieldwork period, companies were consulted about the obstacles faced in finding professionals with the necessary profile for open positions.
The Brazilian series has remained at a high level for four years, with 80% in 2023, 80% in 2024, 81% in 2025, and a new drop to 80% in 2026.
This behavior indicates persistence of the problem, without signs of significant relief in the short term, and reinforces the view that the shortage is no longer a temporary fluctuation in the labor market.
In the global ranking, Brazil appears among the countries with the greatest difficulty in hiring, behind economies such as Slovakia, Greece, Japan, Germany, India, Portugal, and Ireland.
Slovakia leads the list, with 87%, followed by Greece and Japan, both with 84%, while Germany, India, Portugal, and Ireland appear above or very close to the Brazilian index.
At the lower end of the survey, the Brazilian page of ManpowerGroup reports lower percentages for China, Poland, and Finland, with 48%, 57%, and 60%, respectively.
This difference in relation to numbers published in some versions of the survey reinforces the importance of checking the percentages directly at the source responsible for the research.
Larger companies face more pressure to hire
Among medium and large companies, the difficulty in hiring appears more intensely, especially in organizations that need to fill vacancies in technical, operational, and administrative areas simultaneously.
In Brazil, companies with 1,000 to 4,999 employees record the highest index in the survey by size, with 90% of employers reporting a talent shortage.
Even in businesses with fewer than ten employees, the percentage remains high, as 72% of employers claim to face obstacles in finding professionals suitable for the available positions.
The difference between sizes shows that the shortage affects companies of various sizes but tends to grow as the complexity of operations and the number of open positions increase.
By regional breakdown, the problem is more strongly concentrated in the main economic hubs, where competition for qualified professionals is usually higher and business demand is more diversified.
São Paulo leads the national ranking, with 88% of employers reporting difficulties, followed by Minas Gerais, with 85%, and Rio de Janeiro, with 80%.
The city of São Paulo appears with 79%, while other regions of the country total 77%, maintaining the shortage scenario spread beyond the largest states.
In Paraná, the lowest percentage among the presented breakdowns, 74% of employers report difficulty in filling vacancies, a rate that still exceeds the global average of 72% recorded by the survey.
Technology, customer service, and human skills come into focus
In the sector breakdown, Brazil’s greatest difficulty is in professional, scientific, and technical services, an area where 85% of employers report a shortage of professionals.
Soon after, the information sector appears with 83%, while commerce and logistics, hospitality, manufacturing, public services, natural resources, public sector, health, and social services register 79%.
Among the most difficult technical skills to find are the development of artificial intelligence models and applications, AI literacy, IT and data, front office and customer service, as well as marketing and sales.
With this set of demands, the survey shows that the lack of professionals is not limited to highly technological areas and also affects traditional roles related to customer relations.
Behavioral skills have gained weight in selection processes, especially because companies seek professionals capable of adapting to changes, collaborating with teams, and solving problems in more digital environments.
In Brazil, ManpowerGroup highlights professionalism and work ethics, communication and collaboration, adaptability, critical thinking, problem-solving, and digital literacy among the most valued skills by employers.
Companies invest in internal training to fill vacancies
With ready candidates harder to find, some companies have started investing in internal training to reduce the gap between job requirements and available skills.
In Brazil, 44% of employers point to upskilling and reskilling programs as a strategy to tackle the shortage, a percentage higher than the global rate of 27%.
Also appearing among business responses is the search for new talent groups, cited by 25% of employers, and offering greater location flexibility, mentioned by 23%.
Work schedule flexibility was pointed out by 21% of Brazilian companies, in a movement that indicates adjustments in policies for attracting and retaining professionals.
The picture presented by the research combines two relevant movements for the Brazilian labor market: companies with open positions and difficulty finding suitable profiles, while millions of families still depend on income transfer.
How to bring together qualification, income, and opportunity in a market that claims to have vacancies but still cannot find professionals with the desired profile?
