BRAZIL IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR ISSUED 15064 WORK PERMIT TO FOREIGNERS OUT OF WHICH 698 PERMANENT AND 14366 TEMPORARY WITH WORSENING CRISIS IN EUROPE SPANISH PORTUGAL CITIZENS ARE COMING IN RECORD NUMBER AND WORKING MOSTLY IN BARS AND RESTAURANTS HOWEVER AT FIRST PLACE ARE WORKERS FROM LATIN AMERICA 13/08/2013 - 08h54 CLAUDIA ROLLI FROM SÃO PAULO In the first quarter of this year (latest data available), 15,064 work authorizations were granted to foreigners: 698 permanent and 14,366 temporary. In total, 13,659 for men and, less than 10%, 1,405 for women. Even though Brazilian economy growth has cooled off, its potential to attract foreign workers has not. Until June this year the Ministry of Labor in São Paulo through its Superintendence issued 5,431 work cards. The number is 23% higher than the same period last year, when 4,411 foreigners were able to get the document. This year foreigner workers with work cards leading the ranking are Latin American occupying the first three positions: Bolivians (2,432), Peruvians (303) and Paraguayans (281). They take mostly low-skilled jobs and are mainly hired in the textile sector and by small businesses, according to labor inspectors and HR consultant agencies serving businesses from various sectors. Haitians (fourth place in the ranking with 203 permits) have been employed in the construction and infrastructure sectors. The increase in work cards issued by the State is in part a reflection of higher scrutiny in informal sewing workshops and clothing manufacture business. And it is also the result of those who migrate here because of the unemployment crisis in their countries of origin, says the superintendent from the Ministry of Labor in São Paulo, Luiz Antonio de Medeiros. BARS AND RESTAURANTS With the worsening of the crisis in Europe, a growing number of Portuguese and Spaniards are looking for professional registration at the Ministry of Labor. It is in the tourism sector, in bars and restaurants that Portuguese, Spaniards and Argentineans, from a technical or lower level, are finding jobs in Brazil, according to organizations and companies from the sector and from companies in the labor recruitment area. But importing more labor workers is not a matter of concern, says Minister Marcelo Neri, from the Secretariat of Strategic Affairs. Even with the growth recorded this year, the proportion of foreigners in the country is still small. According to the latest IBGE poll, they represent about 0.3% of the population in Brazil. The world average is 3%, according to the UN (United Nations), or 214 million people living and working in foreign countries.
Posted on: Wed, 14 Aug 2013 01:23:18 +0000