Number of vacant jobs increases to 24,952 in the last quarter of 2017
Vacant jobs were mostly related to tourism, namely commerce, accommodation and restaurants, as well as new technologies.
The number of vacant jobs in Portugal rose to 24,592 in the last quarter of 2017, 9.7% more than in the homologous period of 2016, according to statistics published by the Strategy and Planning Office of the Labor Ministry.
This growth was mainly due to an increase in activities in Industries (48.3%), Commerce, Accommodation, Restaurants, (32.6%) and in activities in Information and Communication fields (81.7%). In the fourth quarter of 2017, the job vacancy rate reached 0.8%, 0.1 percentage points higher than the homologous period.
The highest rates were seen in Administrative Activities and Support Services (2%), in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (1.2%) and in establishments with 250 or more workers (1.7%). Regionally, the most significant growth occurred in the North (31.3%), Alentejo and the Algarve (46.2%).
The document states that the European Union and the Euro Area had 2% job vacancy rates in that period, a 0.2 and 0.3 percentage points’ increase, respectively, in comparison to the last quarter of 2016.
Vacant jobs refer to paid employment which are created for the first time, which are not occupied or about to become vacant and whose vacancy is trying to be completed by the employer.
