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The Brazilian construction industry is facing a silent labor shortage, with young people rejecting traditional professions and preferring new occupations with more technology, comfort and flexibility, leaving a void on construction sites across the country.
A shortage of workers qualified professionals has been a major challenge for the construction industry in Brazil.
Currently, the sector is facing difficulties in filling vacancies, especially in areas such as bricklayers, carpenters and other professionals who perform essential functions on construction sites.
According to Raphael Lafetá, president of the Civil Construction Industry Union of Minas Gerais (Sinduscon-MG), the lack of qualified labor is a “crisis” that has directly affected the growth of the sector.
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In interview with radio Itatiaia, Lafetá detailed what he calls a “worker blackout” in the construction sector.
According to him, the new generation's departure from these traditional professions is rooted in the work options offered by new technologies and liberal professions.
“The bricklayer’s son doesn’t want to be a bricklayer. The carpenter’s son doesn’t want to be a carpenter,” stated the president of Sinduscon-MG.
He believes that the emergence of new opportunities, such as app drivers and delivery people, has attracted many young people to these new paths, moving them away from roles considered more traditional and manual.
In 2024, the number of workers in the construction sector reached around three million, a number considered low compared to the growth potential.
According to Lafetá, this total number of jobs was reached in 2011, and since then the number of vacancies has remained stagnant, mainly due to the lack of interest of the new generation in these jobs.
“We are having difficulty growing precisely because of the new generation’s lack of aptitude for working with these services”, said the union president in his interview with the program General Call.
The current scenario and the difficulties faced
Brazil, as one of the largest construction markets in Latin America, faces a challenging reality when it comes to qualifications and interest in the profession.
The shortage of skilled labor has affected projects of all sizes, from large infrastructure projects to the construction of houses and apartments.
For Lafetá, the main cause of this scenario is the lack of interest of new generations by manual professions.
This phenomenon can be attributed to a cultural change that has been driven by new forms of work that have become more attractive, such as jobs related to the digital economy, where young people can, in many cases, choose flexible hours and start working without the need for long learning periods.
Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has also influenced this movement, with many construction workers moving to other areas or even abandoning the profession due to economic uncertainties and the temporary closure of construction sites.
How to attract new workers to the construction industry?
The lack of qualified professionals is a significant obstacle to the growth of the sector, but, according to Lafetá, the technology may be the key to attract new generations to the construction industry.
The president of Sinduscon-MG explained that the use of modern tools and the incorporation of technologies on the construction site are some of the strategies to renew the image of the profession and attract a younger audience.
The focus is on training and educating new workers so that they realize that, although the work continues to be that of a bricklayer or carpenter, the materials and tools are more advanced.
The use of computers, specialized software and modern machines has transformed the work environment in the construction industry, making it more dynamic and, in a way, more attractive to young people seeking innovation in the job market.
Salaries and benefits: factors that do not attract young people
One point that was also addressed by Lafetá is the salary issue.
Although salaries in construction are among the highest for entry-level jobs in Brazil, this has not been enough to attract new professionals.
“The second highest entry-level salary in Brazil is in the construction industry, second only to civil servants and, sometimes, to the IT sector,” he said.
However, despite this remuneration, the lack of attraction for the profession continues.
The perception that construction jobs are arduous and involve heavy manual labor ends up driving young people away, who prefer more comfortable work options with fewer physical demands.
Furthermore, work in the construction sector often requires long hours and exposure to adverse conditions, which also demotivates those seeking a more flexible lifestyle.
The future of construction and career opportunities
Despite the challenges, Lafetá believes that construction still offers great growth potential for those who decide to pursue this career.
He emphasized that construction is not just a temporary job or a low-prestige occupation, but rather a profession with potential for career progression.
“It is possible to start as a bricklayer and, over time, study and become an engineer,” stated Lafetá.
The union president believes that, by showing that construction offers opportunities for growth and development, more young people may become interested in the area.
The sector has also invested in programs professional qualification, offering courses and training so that workers can update themselves and learn new skills, as well as learn how to use the most advanced technologies that are transforming the sector.
The role of business and government
Lafetá also highlighted the importance of joint actions between companies in the sector and the government to attract more young people to the construction industry.
For him, the government must offer incentives and public policies that help modernize the image of the profession and to train a new generation of qualified professionals.
Creating incentive programs, subsidies and scholarships can help make construction professions more attractive.
Furthermore, companies themselves need to invest more in technologies and show new workers that construction offers not only a job, but a long-term career with prospects for growth and financial stability.
The question remains:
What more can be done to attract the current generation to traditional construction professions, and how can companies make these occupations more attractive in the digital and technological world we live in?
