During this time, cities such as Porto, Braga and Lisbon led the growth in demand for labour between February and March, coinciding with the Easter season.

According to analysis by Eurofirms – People First of data from the National Statistics Institute (INE), recruitment for tourism and hotels has already started to rise in a year in which a 4% growth in tourist overnight stays in Portugal is expected, compared to the 80 million registered in 2024. Between 14 and 20 April, the hotel occupancy rate could reach 82% in some municipalities, such as the North region, Porto and Braga; in Greater Lisbon, namely in Lisbon and Setúbal; in the Algarve, in Faro; and in Madeira, in Funchal and in Santa Cruz.

“Seeking to respond to the flow of 32 million tourists – two million more than in 2024 – who are expected to pass through Portugal this year, the hotel and tourism sectors are leading the increase in the number of hires during this period”, says Eurofirms in a press release.

The publication of vacancies for cleaning and food services, the roles of chambermaid, cook and kitchen assistant occupy the podium. Also noteworthy are customer service profiles, namely receptionists.

Recruitment in the sector saw an increase of more than 10% between January and February 2025, according to Eurofirms, an upward trend “in line with last year’s data”. Around this time, cities such as Porto (+43%), Braga (+42%) and Lisbon (+23%) led the growth in demand for labor between February and March, coinciding with the Easter season.