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Even with formal employment contracts and salaries that exceed R$2, companies in the countryside and industry in the Northeast are unable to hire. This phenomenon exposes social conflicts, dependence on benefits and obstacles to regional growth.
Even offering salaries above R$2 and formal employment benefits, agribusiness and industrial companies in the Northeast face increasing difficulties in hiring labor.
The situation is notable in Ceará, but it extends to other states in the region, generating concern among businesspeople and professional associations.
The problem has complex roots, which involve everything from social assistance programs to cultural and structural changes in the labor market.
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In cities in the hinterlands of Ceará, it is common to hear frequent advertisements for jobs with formal contracts on local radio stations —
but the response from workers is minimal or non-existent.
According to producers and industrialists in the region, a significant part of the economically active population has preferred to remain outside the formal job market.,
opting for income transfer programs such as Family Bag.
The justification, according to them, is the fear of losing the welfare benefit when entering registered jobs.
Shortage of workers affects even basic tasks in the field
In rural areas, the situation is even more critical.
According to reports from producers in the interior of Ceará, there is a lack of workers for basic activities in the agricultural routine,
such as manual milking, cleaning pens and managing livestock.
On a farm located on the North Coast of Ceará, which grows coconuts and green beans all year round,
more than 20 vacancies are open at the coconut water bottling unit,
a newly implemented industrial operation with Embrapa technology.
Despite the formal conditions and the appeal for female candidates, the response from the local population has been negative.
The lack of interest has been attributed, in part, to the comfort offered by social benefits.
“Bolsa Família is an important instrument in the fight against poverty,
but it needs to offer an exit door.
Without it, we run the risk of turning addiction into a professional choice",
warns a farmer from Sertão Central, who, even with recurring efforts to attract workers,
unable to fill available vacancies on your property.
Regional difference highlights contrast in the labor market
The problem, however, is not repeated with the same intensity in other regions of the country.
In the Central-West, for example, municipalities with a strong agricultural vocation — such as those that produce soybeans, corn and cotton —
have managed to maintain high levels of employability, with competitive salaries and formal employment guaranteed by a signed employment contract.
In Ceará, even with the rights guaranteed by the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT),
the shortage of professionals is a worrying reality.
An emblematic example comes from Morada Nova, where a shrimp producer — known as a carcinicultor —
had to turn to his own son and brother to continue production,
given the complete lack of external stakeholders.
Industry also faces obstacles to maintaining operations due to lack of labor
The lack of qualified professionals does not only affect the countryside.
Ceará's industry also suffers from the low supply of technical labor,
even for positions with above-average salaries.
Ricard Pereira, businessman in the metallurgical sector and director of Indumetal,
reports difficulties in finding qualified operators for newly acquired machines.
"The workforce does exist, but it is already fully employed.
I am considering looking for professionals in the Southeast to meet this demand,” he declared.
This phenomenon has become a limiting factor for new investments.
According to an agro-industrialist in the region, the unavailability of workers makes many entrepreneurs think twice before investing,
which could have negative repercussions on economic growth in the Northeast.
Initiatives attempt to reverse the scenario, but challenges persist
Faced with this alarming scenario, institutions linked to the agricultural sector have been seeking solutions.
The Federation of Agriculture and Livestock of Ceará (Faec), through the National Rural Learning Service (Senar),
has bet on training of small producers and rural workers,
including courses focused on drone operation — a technology increasingly present in the field.
"Technical training is essential to integrate young people into the new agribusiness model,
which requires more preparation and mastery of digital tools”, explains Amílcar Silveira, president of Faec.
Even so, the immediate challenge is to reverse the perception that formal work represents a threat to social benefits,
which requires a review of the rules and greater coordination between assistance programs and the labor market.
Controversy in Congress exacerbates debate on productivity
While the productive sector seeks solutions, the National Congress is analyzing a proposal that could further affect the country's productivity:
the reduction of the weekly working hours from 44 to 40 hours.
The initiative raises alarms among employers, who are already facing difficulties in keeping their operations running.
“Brazil often seems to penalize those who work and reward those who don’t produce”,
commented a businessman in a critical tone, reflecting the growing frustration of the productive sector
in view of the distortions perceived in economic and labor policy.
Possible paths to a balanced recovery
Experts consulted by economics and agribusiness portals point out that,
in addition to reviewing the criteria for social programs,
It is essential to promote actions to value rural and industrial work.
That includes improve infrastructure in more remote areas, offer decent transportation to company headquarters
and intensify awareness campaigns on the benefits of formal work.
The combination between tax incentives for employers, public policies for labor mobilization and technological updating
could be the way to reverse the worrying situation that is emerging in the Northeast.
The long-term impact of labor shortages
If there is no structural change in this scenario,
the Northeast is at risk of facing a slowdown in economic development.
The lack of workers could compromise agricultural and industrial production, reduce regional competitiveness and increase dependence on federal programs.
In the medium and long term, this could affect the entire Brazilian economy, as agribusiness in the Northeast plays a relevant role in the trade balance and food security.
And you, do you believe that it is possible to reconcile social programs with the encouragement of formal employment? How to solve this dilemma in the Brazilian job market?
