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With The Heated Labor Market, Sectors In Brazil Such As Construction And Industry Face Shortages Of Qualified Labor.
The Brazilian labor market is experiencing a curious phenomenon: amidst the creation of thousands of formal job openings, sectors such as construction, industry, and services are struggling to find qualified professionals.
The scarcity is so great that some companies are adopting team rotations and increasing salaries to retain and attract skilled workers.
The problem, although common in heated economies, has reemerged strongly in Brazil, bringing challenges to maintain productivity and competitiveness.
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Growth Of The Formal Market And Highlighted Sectors
According to data from the General Register of Employed and Unemployed (Caged) from the Ministry of Labor and Employment, Brazil recorded the creation of 247,818 new formal jobs in September.
The services sector led with 128.4 thousand new positions, followed by industry with 59.8 thousand, commerce with 44.6 thousand, and construction with 17 thousand.
However, agriculture saw a loss of 2 thousand positions, reflecting the sector’s difficulties.
Despite the expansion, companies report that the lack of qualified professionals is hindering project development and sometimes limiting business growth.
Construction: A Sector With A History Of Difficulties
According to research from the Brazilian Institute of Economics at the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV Ibre), in September of this year, 29.4% of entrepreneurs in the sector pointed to the lack of qualified labor as a barrier.
This is the highest rate since the end of 2014, signaling a growing demand for professionals in an economy that, although growing at a moderate pace, still faces difficulties in essential areas.
Strategies To Overcome The Shortage Of Professionals
According to an article published by the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo, to tackle the problem, companies from various sectors adopted varied measures.
In construction, for example, 33.1% of entrepreneurs increased remuneration, while 51.5% invested in training to develop new professionals.
Additionally, 46% of companies implemented team rotations, moving employees between projects to cover the shortage of qualified professionals.
These measures aim not only to meet demand but also to keep workers motivated and retained in the sector.
Ana Maria Castelo, coordinator of Construction Projects at FGV Ibre, notes that the sector already faced a similar situation in the early 2010s, when programs like Minha Casa, Minha Vida and major events such as the World Cup and the Olympics drove up demand for labor.
“Today’s growth is more modest, but the concern about the lack of skilled professionals persists,” Castelo asserts.
Industry Invests In Retention And Training
In the industry, companies like Saint-Gobain have invested in strategies to address the issue.
According to Gustavo Siqueira, Vice President of Human Resources for Latin America at Saint-Gobain, the company seeks to create an attractive work environment, focusing on talent development and retention.
“Our people development strategies not only fill skill gaps but also contribute to the retention and motivation of our team”, emphasizes Siqueira.
Saint-Gobain offers continuous technical development pathways and mentoring programs for young talents, creating an environment for professional growth.
Tatiane Cardoso de Paula, HR director at Saint-Gobain Canalização, reinforces the importance of training initiatives: “We have mentoring and technical development programs that aim to equip employees, preparing them to take on new challenges.”
These measures are essential to maintain the industry’s competitiveness in the face of labor shortages.
Footwear Manufacturers Face Similar Dilemmas
The lack of qualified labor also challenges sectors focused on consumption, such as footwear.
João Marcelo Fernandes, Human Resources Manager at Kidy, explains that the company needed to renew positions and make roles more attractive to retain younger employees.
Furthermore, Kidy offers a training program in partnership with the National Service of Industrial Learning (Senai), aiming to train new apprentices and encourage the upskilling of current employees.
“The mentoring program, with 40 new apprenticeships, aims to ensure that employees are prepared for multiple functions, contributing to production stability,” Fernandes reports.
Data from the Brazilian Footwear Industry Association (Abicalçados) indicates that the sector ended August with a net gain of 12.4 thousand jobs, according to Caged.
Haroldo Ferreira, Executive President of Abicalçados, points out that the sector faces challenges similar to those observed in construction.
“Today, we compete not only with other sectors but also with digital platforms, which increases retention difficulties,” Ferreira explains.
Outlook And Future Challenges For The Labor Market
Despite companies’ efforts, analysts indicate that the situation may worsen.
The tightening of mortgage credit rules and rising interest rates are expected to impact the construction market in the long term, reducing investments and possibly the creation of new jobs.
Still, the projection is that the market will remain heated in the coming months, especially in sectors that depend on domestic consumption, such as commerce and the consumer goods industry.
The shortage of qualified labor reflects a growing economy but imposes obstacles for sectors that need to constantly adapt to maintain productivity.
The search for qualified professionals remains a challenge, and solutions like training and valuing employees should remain in focus to avoid a larger bottleneck in the future.
Will Brazil Be Able To Train Qualified Professionals In Time To Maintain The Pace Of Economic Growth?
E que os capacitados graduados estão trabalhando de Uber ou garçons pq não acha colocação
E as empresas que estão com escasses
Exigem que o pião tenha doutorado….
E outra que não tem salários que presta
Com esse salário **** que existe no Brasil, ninguém quer mais trabalhar pra filho da **** de empresário, eu com 59 anos já não quero mais trabalhar, parei agora vivo dos meus investimentos, ainda não me aposentei, estou pagando pra me aposentar, mais voltar a trabalhar não volto mais, o salário no Brasil não digno com os direitos humanos.
Não existe falta de mão de obra, existe o desrespeito por profissionais capacitados, o que ocorre com meu caso, eng. Formado com prática em usinagem aeronáutica e manutenção mecânico e exerce função de motorista.