Portugal’s Immigration Curbs Deepen Construction Labour Shortage Amid Housing Crisis
- brg_news_room
- Jul 24
- 1 min read
Portugal: Portugal’s tighter immigration rules have intensified labour shortages in the construction sector, where foreign workers account for around 30% of the workforce, even as the country faces a housing shortfall of 300,000 homes and plans to build 150,000 affordable homes by 2030 under a USD 10.3 billion (EUR 9 billion) EU-backed programme. Although construction employment increased by 34% between 2020 and 2025, the sector still requires 80,000 additional workers to sustain current projects and could face a 120,000-job shortfall as major developments expand. Government data shows net immigration has fallen by half to around 6,200 people per month in 2025, while only 5,000 construction visas have been issued under the fast-track visa scheme.
Source: Reuters
