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Estimates compiled by the sector indicate a current shortfall of 75,000 engineers, with projections surpassing 500,000 by 2030. In the Baixada Santista region, representatives cite a lack of specialists in dredging, soil studies, and geotechnics, as well as professionals equipped for new construction technologies.
The shortage of qualified professionals has already reached the engineering sector and is pressuring construction and infrastructure companies. The National Union of the Heavy Construction Industry – Infrastructure (Sinicon) reports estimates indicating a deficit of approximately 75,000 engineers in Brazil, with a potential shortfall that could exceed 500,000 professionals by 2030.
The organization states that this scarcity may increase costs, prolong deadlines, and reduce productivity in infrastructure projects. The figures presented by the union come from various sources and represent estimates of the lack of professionals, rather than an account of open positions.
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The deficit of 75,000 engineers is attributed by Sinicon to the National Confederation of Industry (CNI). The projection of over 500,000 professionals by 2030 comes from estimates by the Federal Council of Engineering and Agronomy (Confea), according to the union’s publication.
Hiring Difficulties Hit Construction Sector
A survey by the Brazilian Chamber of Industry of Construction (CBIC), conducted in 2022, found that around 90% of the surveyed companies faced difficulties hiring skilled labor, up from 77% in a previous survey.
The timing of the survey is significant because the 90% figure is still cited to illustrate the problem facing the sector, but it does not correspond to a survey conducted in 2026. In the original survey, the greatest difficulties were reported in roles such as bricklayers, carpenters, foremen, and supervisors.
The same survey revealed that 72.67% of companies were willing to fund training for their employees. Among those surveyed, 43.33% preferred practical and theoretical training on-site, an option aimed at aligning skills development with the needs identified during project execution.
In the industrial sector, Sinicon also cites data from the CNI indicating that 22.4% of industrial firms encounter difficulties hiring qualified workers. This percentage refers to skilled labor in general and does not exclusively pertain to engineers.
Baixada Santista Demands Specialized Professionals
In the Baixada Santista, representatives from the sector point to a demand for activities requiring specialization. Alexandre Euzébio, director of Innovation, Science, and Technology at the Association of Engineers and Architects of Santos (Aeas), identifies major gaps in professionals for dredging, soil studies, and geotechnics.
“The CNI points to the shortage of qualified workers as one of the biggest obstacles. In the region, this is exacerbated by our local industry: the expansion of the Port of Santos, the Cubatão Hub, and the real estate boom, all of which require a highly technical profile that we simply cannot find in sufficient volume and readiness,” states Euzébio.
According to the director, these specializations do not provide a constant demand for work and require accumulated experience. “Super-specialized areas do not have a constant availability of jobs, demand professionals with extensive experience, and this deters recent graduates from seeking specialization in these fields,” he says.
Euzébio also states that Brazil has six engineers per 1,000 inhabitants, compared to about 25 per 1,000 in developed countries. He simultaneously mentions over 1 million registered professionals in the country, a number attributed to Confea.
The availability of professionals with specific experience is the point emphasized by the leader to explain regional gaps. In the Baixada Santista, the specialties mentioned by Euzébio require technical knowledge that, according to him, is not found in the volume and readiness demanded by local projects.
Practical Experience and New Technologies Weigh in on Hiring
Lucas Teixeira, regional director of the Construction Industry Syndicate of the State of São Paulo (SindusCon-SP), states that the difficulty in finding labor is systemic and affects nearly all construction functions, including engineers.
“In the case of engineers, there is also this difficulty, especially given the need for professionals who are increasingly prepared to keep up with the evolution of construction methods and new technologies,” says Teixeira.
The director points to increased demand in the Southeast, particularly in the State of São Paulo, and links the search in Baixada Santista to the local construction activity. For these positions, he notes that companies are looking for academic training combined with practical experience and technical qualification.
“There is a growing demand for professionals who, in addition to academic training, have practical experience, technical qualification, and mastery of the new tools used in the construction industry,” Teixeira adds.
Another point raised by Sinicon is the decrease in engineering course enrollments from 2015 to 2024. According to data compiled by the organization, the total dropped from over 1.2 million to about 887,000 students, even though the number of courses has increased during this period.
Among the measures advocated by the syndicate are the expansion of engineering education, strengthening technical qualification, closer collaboration between universities and companies, and updating curricula to meet the professional needs identified by the sector.
