The data is featured in the North Conjuncture Bulletin, prepared by the North Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR-N), with the theme “The Labor Market in the North (2011-2024).”
“Between 2011 and 2024, the labor market in the North demonstrated a solid recovery, supported by employment growth but also by a structural transformation of the region based on the enhancement of qualifications, configuring a new paradigm of socio-economic development in the region,” the study highlights.
The study shows that the employed population in the North reached 1.77 million in 2024, which represents a net increase of 230,000 jobs compared to 2011 and a cumulative growth of 14.9%.
“The North was the Portuguese region that created the most jobs during this period, followed by Greater Lisbon (plus 180,000) and the Setúbal Peninsula (plus 70,000),” the study further notes.
The bulletin reveals a more qualified workforce, with the number of employed people with higher education in the North increasing by 107.3%, from 275,500 to 571,100, while employees with education up to the third cycle of basic education decreased by 32.7%, from 971,500 to 653,400.
The document indicates that the North lost 99,700 jobs in the 16-44 age group, while the employed population aged 45 or older increased by 329,000.
Despite the drop in employment in the 16-44 age bracket, the number of employed people with higher education in this group increased from 205,500 to 340,800.
During the same period, employment in the services sector in the North grew by 30.4%, from 888,500 to 1,158,200 people, resulting in a net creation of 269,700 jobs.
Conversely, the manufacturing industries maintained virtually the same level of employment, while the primary sector experienced a significant reduction of 24.6, eliminating 14,900 jobs.
Regarding salaries, the average net earnings of employees in the North rose from 751 to 1,081 euros, reflecting a real growth of 14.9%.
The increase was more pronounced among workers with education up to the third cycle of basic education, who saw their net salaries rise from 598 to 848 euros.
In contrast, graduates with higher education experienced a more modest salary increase, from 1,299 to 1,451 euros, resulting in a real purchasing power loss of 10.9%.
The study also shows that 147,700 female jobs and 82,300 male jobs were created in the North, increasing the proportion of women in the total employed population from 46.2% to 48.6%.
The bulletin indicates that job contracts are more stable, with the proportion of employees with indefinite contracts rising from 79.6% to 85.3% of the total.
Alongside this evolutionary scenario, the unemployment rate in the North decreased from 14.0% to 6.5%, approaching the “full employment threshold,” a reduction that was widespread across all age groups but particularly significant among young people (16-24 years old) and the less qualified.
