However, the country continues to record historical levels of employed people, which currently exceed 5.1 million professionals, according to data presented by Randstad Research for the second quarter of this year.

According to the study, "only 34.2% of the total employed population have higher education qualifications and, among these, an employment rate of 80.2% is recorded".

For those who have secondary or post-secondary education, "the employment rate is 10.7 points lower".

As for the unemployed, "52.4% have not completed secondary education", which ends up making it difficult to find a job. This "explains that 44.2% of the unemployed - 146.8 thousand people - have been looking for work for more than a year".

Nevertheless, Eurostat data shows that "employment is once again reaching historic levels in Portugal", reaching "an employment rate of 72.2% among those aged 16 to 64", above the European average of 1.9%.

"There is a very positive growth outlook, but there is still a large portion of the working-age population for whom the lack of training often makes it difficult to integrate or reintegrate into the job market. This data is important, as it allows organizations to make informed decisions and anticipate needs in order to remain competitive in the market", said Isabel Roseiro, marketing director at Randstad Portugal.