# Labor shortages and training needs in Brazilian industry

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/labor-shortages-in-brazilian-industry-and-retail
> Updated: 2026-08-31T19:25:17.000Z. Sources: 10. Developments: 3.

Brazil is experiencing a widespread labor shortage across multiple economic sectors, including industry, construction, retail, and logistics. In the industrial and construction sectors, the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) reported that mentions of labor scarcity rose from 5% between 2015–2020 to 23% in 2024. Experts suggest the issue is structural, noting that younger workers are increasingly pursuing different career paths.

In the retail sector, the supermarket industry in São Paulo is managing approximately 35,000 job openings. Erlon Ortega, president of APAS, noted that the primary challenge has shifted from training workers to “simply finding available personnel to be trained.” To combat this, retailers are modernizing work formats through flexible scheduling and prioritizing intensive internal training over previous experience. The Escola APAS is actively providing theoretical and practical courses to develop the workforce.

Simultaneously, the logistics and transport sector faces a massive demand for professional qualification. Data from the National Industrial Observatory (ONI) indicates that by 2027, approximately 14 million professionals will require training, comprising 2.2 million new workers and 11.8 million existing employees needing requalification. Companies like VLI are addressing this through specialized programs like Universidade VLI, while local municipalities, such as Lucas do Rio Verde, are partnering with Senac to offer free logistics assistant courses to prepare individuals for warehousing and material control roles.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-31: Logistics sector in Brazil sees rising demand for professional training

Brazil faces a high demand for logistics professionals, with 14 million workers needing qualification by 2027. Companies like VLI and local initiatives in Lucas do Rio Verde are expanding training programs.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/logistics-sector-in-brazil-sees-rising-demand-for-professional-training

### 2026-08-31: Supermarket sector faces labor shortage in Brazil

The Brazilian supermarket sector faces a major labor shortage, with 35,000 vacancies in São Paulo alone, prompting companies to prioritize internal training and flexible work models.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/supermarket-sector-faces-labor-shortage-in-brazil

### 2026-08-17: Brazilian industry faces structural labor shortage

Brazilian industries face a growing structural labor shortage, prompting companies like Tirolez to launch large-scale employee education programs and leaders like MRV&CO to advocate for industrialization.

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/brazilian-industry-faces-structural-labor-shortage

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Cite as: Labor shortages and training needs in Brazilian industry. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/labor-shortages-in-brazilian-industry-and-retail