Low wages and rising costs of living, especially housing, have caused the number of people working two or three jobs at the same time to reach a record high in Portugal.
In front of Santa Maria Hospital in northern Lisbon, Isabel hurried past patients on her way to the parking lot. With dark circles under her eyes, messy hair and carrying many bags, the 38-year-old female surgeon went home to change clothes before going to work at a private clinic.
“I work 40 hours a week at a public hospital with a salary of 2.000 euros a month after tax, despite studying surgery for 6 years. It's not enough to live decently because it's impossible to find a rental house in Lisbon for less than 1.300 euros a month," she said.
To make ends meet and raise her two children, Isabel works 2 hours a week at a private clinic and does after-hours surgeries. In total, she works 5 hours a week to earn 60 euros a month after taxes.
Or like Gonçalo Henriques, 32 years old, still living with his parents. As a full-time architect, he earns 1.400 euros a month and supplements his income as a photographer. “In 2023, I earn another 6.000 euros. That amount of money is not enough for me to live alone except to accept renting a room in a shabby apartment," he said.
Police protest against low wages in Lisbon on January 24. Photo: AFP
Situations like Isabel or Gonçalo Henriques are not rare. The Portuguese Statistics Authority said there will be a record of more than 250.000 Portuguese citizens working two or even three jobs at the same time by 2023. This number accounts for 5% of the country's 5 million workforce.
This number is also notable compared to Portugal's other strong economic indicators. Last year, the country's GDP increased by 2,3%, public debt fell below 100% of GDP much earlier than expected and the unemployment rate was only 6,5%.
On Lisbon's tourist-filled streets, inequality is increasingly evident, reflecting a two-speed economy, according to Le Monde. On the one hand, the Portuguese capital has risen from 20th to 8th place in the “Barnes City Index 2024”, a ranking of cities that attract many super-rich people to invest in luxury real estate. luxurious.
On the other hand, three out of four Portuguese families have difficulty paying their 2023 bills, according to consumer advocacy organization Deco Proteste. The organization's survey of 7.000 people on the burden of life's food, education, housing, transportation, health and entertainment costs found that 75% of households in Portugal said they were facing difficulties. Along with that, 7% said they were "in critical condition". The main reason pointed out is the sharp increase in house rent prices and escalating home loan interest rates.
In 2022, the average monthly salary before taxes is about 1.400 euros ($1.500) – just enough to rent a one-bedroom apartment in Lisbon as prices skyrocket amid the housing crisis. Nearly 3 million workers in the country earn less than 1.000 euros ($1.085) a month. The average pension for the elderly is about 500 euros ($543) a month.
Difficulties increased due to escalating inflation. Inflation in the country recently peaked at 10,2% in the fourth quarter of 2022 and cooled to 5,3% in 2023. Osvaldo Sousa, an opera singer at the Sao Carlos theater in Lisbon, said there are many people like him. disillusioned by difficulties with housing and health care. "Our dream did not come true," he said.
Despite tens of billions of euros in development aid from the European Union in recent decades, Portugal remains one of Western Europe's poorest countries. The Portuguese central bank forecasts that the country's GDP will increase by 2% this year. Since the beginning of 2024, the government has adjusted the minimum wage from 760 euros to 820 euros per month and 10.640 euros to 11.480 euros per year.
Economist José Reis at Coimbra University (Portugal) said that after the 2011 crisis, the country's growth was based on low-cost, low-productivity, labor-intensive sectors such as tourism and service industry. “This is not sustainable over time and needs to be rethought,” he said.
Session An (according to Le Monde, AP, Reuters)
