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Who Could Imagine That Brazil, A Country Historically Marked By High Unemployment Rates, Would Face A Reality Where The Lack Of Skilled Workers Would Become One Of The Biggest Challenges For The Market?
The scenario that unfolded in the last Job Fair, held in the heart of São Paulo, surprised even the most experienced market analysts. What was supposed to be an event to help fill thousands of job vacancies ended up revealing a problem that, until recently, seemed unimaginable: the “full employment fair”, where jobs are abundant, but candidates are lacking.
According to journalist Márcia de Chiara, from Estadão, the National Job Fair, held in Vale do Anhangabaú last week, was a clear demonstration that the Brazilian labor market is undergoing a significant transformation.
Traditionally, the event attracted crowds of unemployed individuals, but this year the reality was very different. The barriers that once organized long lines were left abandoned, and the empty sidewalks illustrated the drastic change in the employment landscape in the country.
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A new Brazilian shopping center worth R$ 400 million will be built in an area equivalent to more than 4 football fields, featuring 90 stores, 5 cinemas, a supermarket, a college, and parking for 1,700 cars, potentially generating 3,000 jobs.
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Larger than entire cities in Brazil: BYD is building a 4.6 km² complex in Bahia with a capacity for 600,000 vehicles per year, but the discovery of 163 workers in conditions analogous to slavery has shaken the entire project.
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With an investment of R$ 612 million, a capacity to process 1.2 million liters of milk per day, Piracanjuba inaugurates a mega cheese factory that increases national production, reduces dependence on imports, and repositions Brazil on the global dairy map.
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Brazilian city gains industrial hub for 85 companies that is equivalent to 55 football fields.
The main evidence of this change was the number of candidates who attended the event. According to data provided by the General Union of Workers (UGT) and the Union of Retail Workers of São Paulo, only 3.58 thousand people participated in this year’s fair, less than half of the 7.4 thousand registered in the first edition in 2018.
In contrast, the number of job openings reached a record, with 25,046 positions available, of which only 200 were filled, representing less than 1% of the total.
What is behind this discrepancy? The answer seems to lie in the combination of historically low unemployment and the shortage of skilled labor, which already affects nearly half of the professions that employ the most in Brazil.
According to the National Household Sample Survey (Pnad), conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), unemployment fell to 6.9% in the quarter ending in June, the lowest rate in ten years.
This data, which at first glance may seem positive, conceals a structural problem: the growing difficulty companies face in finding qualified professionals to fill the available positions.
Professions Most Affected By The Lack Of Skilled Workers
The shortage of skilled labor already affects 40% of the professions that employ the most in Brazil, according to a study conducted by the National Confederation of Goods, Services, and Tourism (CNC), at the request of Estadão.
The survey, conducted by economist Fabio Bentes, identified that in June 2024, 92 of the 231 professions analyzed showed clear signs of shortage. This group of professions is responsible for 80% of formal employment in the country, which amplifies the impact of the lack of skilled workers.
The most affected sectors include services and construction, where salary increases above the market nominal average (5.8% between June 2023 and June 2024) have not been sufficient to attract enough candidates.
According to Bentes, we are at the highest point of labor shortage indicators, comparable only to the post-pandemic period in 2021, when the replacement of workers was necessary to resume economic activity.
Sectors On Alert: The Impact Of The Labor Shortage
Other studies corroborate these findings. According to a survey by the Economic Research Department of Banco Daycoval, by June of this year, six of the ten sectors of the economy analyzed faced high demand for workers for more than six months.
This includes industries, commerce, transportation, technology, finance, and public administration, sectors where both salaries and the number of employed have grown above the historical average. The situation is even more critical in segments such as food and accommodation, where salaries are increasing, but the number of hires does not keep pace with this trend.
According to Rafael Cardoso, chief economist at Daycoval, this scenario reveals a severe shortage of workers, especially in sectors that have seen accelerated recovery post-pandemic.
The survey conducted by the bank indicates that 36.6% of companies in accommodation, restaurants, and food in July 2024 reported lack of qualified labor as a significant obstacle to business growth.
Companies Seeking Workers: A Challenging Labor Market
This reality has forced companies to reevaluate their hiring strategies. As pointed out by Fabiana Amorim, training analyst for a large retail chain, the difficulty of finding qualified candidates has become a daily challenge.
At the last fair, the company offered 300 vacancies but managed to fill only 15 by Wednesday of the event after interviewing 18 candidates. “I expected to reach Wednesday with 100 hires,” Amorim told the cited newspaper, emphasizing the frustration in finding suitable professionals.
The scenario has also brought changes in the profile of candidates still seeking employment. During the fair, the report from Estadão claims to have found people with diverse profiles, such as retirees, young people seeking a second job, and even those who recently left their positions, believing in better opportunities.
Cases like that of Emily de Melo, 20, who left a marketing operator job in home office due to inconvenient hours, illustrate this change. “I resigned to look for a better position, to help at home, but with a more flexible schedule,” Emily explained.
Finally, as has been published by CPG, the shortage of skilled labor in the construction sector has emerged as the main problem for companies in this sector. According to the survey by the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV), more than a quarter of companies in the sector (26.7%) identified the lack of workers as an obstacle, the highest level recorded for the month of July since 2014.
In your view, what are the main factors behind this lack of skilled labor? Leave your answer in the comments and join the discussion.
No Brasil ou o camarada estuda ou se alimenta. As pessoas querem estudar só que o sistema atual impede que a pessoa atinja a faculdade. Tem q ajudar em casa. Vira um ciclo. É um problema mesmo.
Já desejei muito um emprego clt decente. Lutei até chegar ao nível de pós graduação mas parece que nada pra essas empresas é suficiente. Só salários de fome, escravidão do tempo e humilhação em ambiente de trabalho. Além disso os parentes e puxa sacos parecem ter mais chance que os profissionais qualificados. E as empresas sempre preferem a loira desqualificada, só pra não ter que contratar a preta pós graduada. Hoje em dia prefiro ganhar menos mas trabalhar por conta própria. Fazer meus horários, folgar quando precisar, ganhar dinheiro do meu jeito. Não vale a pena enfrentar a humilhação das filas e dos processos seletivos injustos pra ganhar uma miséria e ainda ser descartado qdo a empresa achar que vc não faz o suficiente.
E isso mesmo nigue que troca o cafe da manha pela janta salarios de escravo niguem que trabalhar um mes so para comer ai e obrigado mandar os empregador se ferra!
O povo que poder compra carro novo casa sustentar a familia dignamente e o pagamento dessas profiçoes é ridiculo didica a vida pra nada!