Retail, logistics, storage and transportation, food industry, hospitality, and e-commerce (online commerce) and customer support are among the sectors that heavily rely on temporary hiring to meet “increased demand” during the festive period.
Although recruitment agencies note an increase in demand from companies for temporary work solutions, they admit to difficulties in finding candidates for “technical and operational” roles.
“The hiring difficulties extend to all areas, but are particularly noticeable in technical and operational roles, specifically in specialized logistics, drivers with specific licenses, qualified warehouse operators, and production technicians,” says Daniela Lourenço, brand leader at Manpower.
In the case of hospitality and catering, “fluency in foreign languages, especially English, remains a requirement that continues to limit the number of available candidates,” she adds.
This view is shared by António Carvalho, temp & perm business director at Gi Group, who indicates that “the biggest challenge” is related to “logistics, transport, and production areas, where demand is very high and candidate availability is low.”
Meanwhile, an official source from iU Talent mentions “waiters, cooks, receptionists, and warehouse operators,” highlighting that Portugal’s proximity to full employment, “with historically low unemployment levels,” and “two structural factors” are the main barriers to hiring these professionals.
According to this recruiter, among the “structural factors” is the “departure of young people abroad” and “the revaluation of some sectors, such as technology and administration, which end up absorbing professionals with versatile profiles who previously turned to retail or hospitality,” they explain.
“The result is a shortage felt, especially in jobs that require physical presence, shift work, or peaks of intensity, typical of Christmas,” they add.
Pedro Empis, operational director of talent solutions at Randstad, notes that “areas very person-based” encounter more hiring difficulties, especially “when locations and schedules do not meet candidates’ expectations.”
Despite these difficulties, except for iU Talent, other recruitment firms indicate that demand has increased, albeit with companies being cautious in hiring.
“Demand for temporary work solutions has been growing,” notes Gi Group, suggesting that “this scenario is being influenced by greater business caution in light of economic instability.”
“We also feel that companies are anticipating recruitment processes and investing in larger teams to respond to growing demand,” they add.
Manpower also notes “greater prudence from companies, a reflection of the economic context felt throughout 2025,” indicating that this year’s requests for team reinforcement at Christmas are “arriving later than usual.”
“Currently, more companies than usual in October are sharing their recruitment perspectives with us, even if not formalizing processes. It is clear that companies are deciding more cautiously, adjusting volumes based on orders and real demand,” explains Daniela Lourenço.
Randstad points to increased demand this year, “particularly in retail, food industry, and logistics,” with “growth between 10% and 30%,” while iU Talent highlights a reverse scenario, pointing out a general trend of decline affecting “the three sectors most seeking team reinforcement at this time”: hospitality, with a drop of 9.9%; customer service, down 8.1%; and logistics and distribution, with a reduction of 0.7%.
To overcome recruitment difficulties and attract candidates, companies offer incentives such as performance bonuses, meal, and transport subsidies, or the possibility of future integration.
