Talent Shortage Hits Brazil and Portugal Industries

A ManpowerGroup survey finds that 80% of Brazilian employers struggle to find qualified talent, above the global average of 72%. The gap between required competencies and available skills is driven by rapid technological change, evolving job profiles and new work‑model expectations. Alessandro Saade, executive superintendent of Espro, highlights the role of internships, noting that out of more than 20 million students of working age in Brazil, only about 1.2 million are in formal internship programmes, leaving the majority with little practical experience. Espro has placed over 725 000 young people in jobs and provided 1.5 million social services.

In Portugal, 82% of employers report unfilled vacancies, with the industrial sector facing an 88% shortage. Forty‑one percent cannot find workers with the necessary expertise in machinery, refrigeration, electric motors, hydraulics and automation. The lack of specialists contributes to costly unplanned downtime – the 500 largest global firms lose $1.4 trillion annually, equivalent to 11% of revenue. Siemens reports that AI‑enabled sensors can monitor equipment health and allow a single specialist to oversee many machines, turning maintenance into a subscription‑style service and improving both availability and quality.