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Large industries in the North of Santa Catarina compete for labor with salary adjustments, expansion of benefits, and recruitment outside the state. Britânia, Tupy, and ArcelorMittal announced job fairs and new packages to fill vacancies in Joinville and São Bento do Sul, in a scenario of record job creation in the state in 2026.
In May 2026, three of the largest industries located in the North of Santa Catarina, Britânia, Tupy, and ArcelorMittal, announced in succession new job fairs, with salary adjustments and expansion of benefits packages in an open competition for qualified and operational labor. The measures were announced in interviews given by the companies to the ND Mais portal between May 13 and 19, amid the highest warming of the Santa Catarina labor market ever recorded in a first quarter, according to official data from the General Register of Employed and Unemployed (New Caged) released on April 29 by the Ministry of Labor and Employment.
The movement appears as a direct response to an unprecedented shortage of professionals in the region. In March 2026, Joinville was the Santa Catarina municipality with the highest balance of formal jobs, with 2,495 new positions with signed work contracts, according to Caged. In the same month, the Santa Catarina industry generated 5,525 jobs, the second best performance in the country. To fill this contingent, large companies need to compete for workers among themselves, offer above-average salaries, and seek labor in other states, as Tupy did, recruiting candidates in Belém, Pará, to work in Joinville.
How Britânia positioned itself in the labor dispute in Joinville
Britânia, an electronics manufacturer with a factory in Joinville, opened 150 permanent positions for the roles of Production Operator I and Warehouse Operator I, with no previous experience required. The starting salary increased to R$ 2,156 and can reach R$ 2,782 after the probation period, considering the variable benefits included in the package. The next hiring fair takes place between May 20 and 22, 2026, at the company’s factory on Vergilio Prochnow Street, 200, in Joinville.
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The benefits package is a central part of the strategy. Britânia offers a meal card without payroll deduction, bonuses for attendance and productivity, chartered transportation, health plan, dental plan, profit sharing, and discounts on brand products. For an operational position with no experience requirement, this set of benefits is considered above the regional average and has been highlighted by the company itself as a differentiator to attract candidates in a market with less supply than demand.
Tupy seeks workers in Pará to reinforce operations in SC
The multinational Tupy, headquartered in Joinville and with industrial operations in various units across the country, was the company that drew the most attention for its recruitment strategy. The company conducted a selection process in Belém, Pará, to hire workers for the Santa Catarina unit. The offered positions paid salaries of up to R$ 3,300, also with no prior experience requirement, clearly indicating the extent of the labor shortage in the region.
To convince candidates to leave Pará and move to Santa Catarina, Tupy put together a complete relocation package. The company offered relocation assistance, paid housing for the first month, and rent assistance in the following months, in addition to traditional benefits such as health plan, on-site meals, chartered transportation, and profit sharing. In a statement to ND Mais, the company stated that recruitment in Pará is part of several active hiring fronts in parallel and that permanent selection continues to operate at headquarters in Joinville, focusing on filling open positions in the short term.
ArcelorMittal Tuper increases salaries and package in São Bento do Sul
The Tuper unit of ArcelorMittal, in São Bento do Sul, announced more than 100 open positions in the production and logistics areas. The highlight of the new interview fair was the salary update to R$ 2,784, a value considered above average for operational functions in the North Plateau region of Santa Catarina. This movement reinforces the trend of adjustments in the operational base of the heavy industry, with a direct effect on production costs and balance with the prices practiced by the sector.
The unit’s benefits package includes free transportation vouchers, health plan, dental plan, internal restaurant, life insurance, recreational association, and career paths. This last item, aimed at professional development within the company, has been highlighted by human resources specialists as a relevant differentiator in the competition for industrial labor, especially among young workers who weigh growth prospects when accepting a position on the factory floor.
What Caged data shows about the labor market in SC
The numbers explain why companies are so active in recruitment. Santa Catarina ended the first quarter of 2026 with 59,396 new formal jobs, according to data from the New Caged released by the Ministry of Labor and Employment on April 29. The result places the state in the third national position, behind only São Paulo and Minas Gerais. In percentage terms, Santa Catarina’s accumulated growth was 2.26%, surpassing the national average of 1.27% and the average of the Southern Region, which was 1.85%.
The industrial sector is the main driver of this performance. In March 2026, the industry in Santa Catarina generated 5,525 jobs, the second-best balance in the country, behind only São Paulo. Within this total, the manufacturing industry accounted for 5,718 net hires, meaning that one in every four new jobs in the segment in the country was opened in Santa Catarina. This concentration explains the race for qualified workers and the pressure on the payrolls of large companies located in Joinville and São Bento do Sul.
Why the North of Santa Catarina leads the race for labor
The North of Santa Catarina concentrates large industrial parks of metallurgy, plastics, electronics, automotive, and consumer goods. Joinville alone accounts for a significant share of the state’s industrial GDP and hosts headquarters or units of companies such as Embraco, Tigre, Wetzel, Schulz, as well as Britânia, Tupy, and ArcelorMittal Tuper itself. This industrial density creates a concentrated demand for labor that pressures the entire chain, from production operators to specialized engineers.
São Bento do Sul, in turn, is traditionally recognized for its furniture and steel industries, with Tuper as one of the largest local employers. The city has been registering, according to the Federation of Industries of the State of Santa Catarina, signs of heating similar to those of Joinville, which helps explain why the salary adjustment reached the level of R$ 2,784. In a market with low unemployment, attracting labor means paying more and offering more benefits than the competitor in the same industrial hub.
What to expect in the coming months in the Santa Catarina labor market
The expectation of human resources specialists and business entities is that this competition will continue throughout 2026. With the national industry reheating, supply chains demanding more local production, and the Brazilian automotive sector in transformation, the pressure on the labor market in Northern Santa Catarina is expected to remain high. For workers, this scenario tends to translate into more job offers, adjusted salaries, and increasingly robust benefits packages.
For companies, however, the challenge is greater than just hiring. It is necessary to keep employees longer in operation, avoid turnover, and invest in training to prepare their own workforce without relying exclusively on the market. Industrial apprenticeship programs, partnerships with Senai, and internal qualification initiatives are expected to intensify in the coming months, in an effort to reduce dependence on external recruitment and stabilize the payroll at predictable levels.
Northern Santa Catarina is experiencing a rare moment in the Brazilian labor market: giant industries competing with each other to attract workers while needing to maintain global competitiveness. For the worker from Santa Catarina or those willing to relocate, the opportunity is positive, with salaries, benefits, and prospects on the rise. For companies, the challenge will be to retain these people in the long term, preventing the industrial park’s own competitor from taking the team in the next round of adjustments.
Have you or someone you know ever considered moving to Santa Catarina to work in an industry like Britânia, Tupy, or ArcelorMittal? Do you think the salary and benefits package offered is worth the relocation? Leave your comment, share your experience with job opportunities in Northern Santa Catarina, and share the article with those looking for a new job opportunity on the factory floor.
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