The number of job vacancies in Portugal continues to fall, putting pressure on unemployment. Between January and March, there were 48,103 vacancies, 6,830 fewer than in the previous quarter, when there were 54,933 vacancies, which corresponds to a decrease of 12.4%, according to the most recent statistical overview published by the Cabinet of Strategy and the Ministry of Labor planning. It should be noted that also in the first three months of the year, the unemployment rate rose to 7.2%, reaching the highest level since 2020, although it fell back to 6.8% in April, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE).
It is the second consecutive quarter in which vacancies have fallen, from October to December 2022, interrupting the previous increases, according to the various reports consulted by DN / Dinheiro Vivo. Incidentally, the vacancies always increased until the third quarter of 2022, from July to September, when there were 61,625 vacancies. Now it is 48103, minus 13,555, which corresponds to a decrease of 21.9%. However, statistics from the Department of Labor do not explain the reason for this reduction, i.e. whether offers were fulfilled or whether companies cut back on hiring staff.
Almost all sectors showed a decrease in the number of vacancies. Artistic, entertainment and sports activities, as well as activities related to information and communication, were the activities with the largest decrease in the number of vacancies, compared to a year earlier, with a decrease of 22.6% and 21.4% respectively . On the other hand, companies in the financial and insurance sectors saw exponential growth in job openings, with the supply more than doubling. Data from the statistics office shows that there was an 111.6% increase in available places in that sector in the first quarter. Vacancies in construction also increased, but less markedly, by 28%.
Click here for more information: https://www.dinheirovivo.pt
Source: DN
