The profile of the typical worker in Portugal has evolved over the past 25 years, with increased age, gender parity, higher qualifications, and improved salaries, as highlighted by an analysis from Randstad released for Labor Day on Thursday, May 1st.
“There are now almost as many women as men in the workforce in Portugal. The largest group of Portuguese workers is between 45 and 55 years old, has completed a higher education degree, and works in an intellectual or scientific profession, earning a monthly average salary of €1,184. This is the typical profile of a worker in Portugal in 2025,” the statement notes.
According to the analysis, “looking back to the year 2000, the only characteristic that remains is the concentration of workers in the northern region of the country.”
“Twenty-five years ago, 55.1% of workers were men (now we are close to parity) between the ages of 25 and 34, most (34.7%) had only completed the first stage of basic education and worked in industry or construction,” the report states.
This indicates that “over the last 25 years, Portugal has witnessed significant aging of its workforce. The age group 45-54 has become the most representative, surpassing young adults. In 2000, young people aged 16-24 represented 12.7% of the employed population. In 2025, this percentage has dropped to just 6%.”
Furthermore, “the educational attainment of the active population has undergone a complete transformation“, as “the proportion of professionals with higher education jumped from 9.4% in 2000 to 34.6% in 2025.”
Additionally, “the nominal average income of employed individuals in Portugal recorded an increase of more than 120% over the last 25 years.”
“Nevertheless, the growth has been uneven: sectors like agriculture and the Armed Forces saw increases of over 120%, while highly qualified professions grew below average,” the analysis concludes.
