Portugal needs between “50,000 and 100,000 immigrants” per year over the next few decades, study finds

Portugal needs between 50 and 100 thousand new immigrant workers per year to fuel the Portuguese economy, revealed this Wednesday the study 'Migrations and Human Rights' presented by the UGT, quoted by radio 'Renascença': Jorge Malheiros, responsible for the research, highlighted that this need will continue in the coming decades.

“Immigration is set to continue in the context of the Portuguese market, which has a labor shortage in many sectors that is more than just temporary and will continue in this decade and the next, unless there is a very significant change in productivity due to advances in automation and robotics or the combination of robotics and artificial intelligence”, indicated the specialist, highlighting that it will be “difficult” for there to be “a very significant replacement of labor” in this way.

“In a context of low birth rates and an aging population, Portugal will inevitably need 50,000 to 100,000 workers regularly over time,” concluded the expert.