Portugal sees 4% drop in collective layoffs to 192 cases by April, DGERT reports

The Directorate-General for Employment and Labour Relations (DGERT) reported that 192 collective dismissals were registered by Portuguese companies up to April, marking a 4% decline compared with the same period last year and the lowest number since early 2024. The dismissals involved 59 micro‑enterprises, 91 small firms, 29 medium‑size companies and 13 large businesses.

Regionally, Lisbon and Vale do Tejo accounted for 114 cases, followed by the North (51), Centre (20), Algarve (4) and Alentejo (3). A total of 2,450 workers were covered by the processes, of whom 2,311 were actually dismissed, representing a 5.7% reduction versus the previous year. In April alone, 540 workers were laid off, down from 857 in the same month last year and 878 in March. The Lisbon region saw 211 dismissals (39% of the monthly total). The sectors with the highest numbers were manufacturing and wholesale/retail. The main reasons cited were workforce reduction (41%), closure of one or more sections (32%) and permanent closure (27%).