Construction in Portugal remains active, with robust activity and more companies being created. There are also more workers building houses and other buildings in the country. But this growth in the workforce is still insufficient to meet the real needs of the sector, marked by high demand and permits being issued. The lack of labor (especially qualified labor) in the construction industry in Portugal is leading to a further rise in wages for all professionals in the sector, from bricklayers to civil engineers, which in turn makes housing prices more expensive and increases the financial burden on families, particularly with housing loans. This scenario has been repeatedly pointed out by various players and is now confirmed by official data.

In Portugal, construction activity showed moderate dynamism until mid-2025, with annual growth between 1.3% and 2.7%. This came after the turbulence of the pandemic in 2020 and, two years later, the rise in inflation and interest rates, events that caused major fluctuations in the Construction Production Index released by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

Employment in construction has also been rising by around 3% in recent months. In June this year, construction employed about 387,300 people in the country, 23,900 more than a year earlier. But is it enough? The Association of Civil Construction and Public Works Industries (AICCOPN) estimates that there is still a shortage of around 80,000 workers in the sector. And this lack of professionals has driven construction wages up at an accelerated pace (between 6.5% and 12.2% throughout 2025), according to INE’s index.

Evolution of activity, employment, and wages in construction
Year-on-year growth rates
Data for May, June, and July are provisional

Graph: idealista/news Source: INE Created with Datawrapper

The lack of qualified labor in construction thus continues to be a structural problem in the country, despite efforts by the Government and sector players to attract more workers, particularly from abroad. And it continues to create constraints not only in the creation of public and private housing supply but also in the rising costs of building new homes, contributing to the increase in housing prices in the country.

Data from idealista show that the cost of housing in Portugal continues to rise at a fast pace. In August, house prices for sale rose 8.4% compared to the same month in 2024, bringing the median housing cost to €2,951 per square meter (€/m2), according to the price index. Regarding quarterly variation, house prices rose 3.5%.

This is also a reality affecting Europe, which is also facing a shortage of specialized professionals in this sector, reflected in higher wages. The hourly labor cost in construction rose 4.7% in the eurozone and 4.8% in the European Union in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the same period of the previous year, according to Eurostat data released this Tuesday, September 16. The shortage of qualified workers ultimately holds back construction growth and the delivery of more affordable housing in the European market, an issue that Brussels is closely monitoring.

Labor in construction
Photo by Aleksey on Pexels

Wages rising in construction: which professions are the best paid?

The wages of professionals working in construction in Portugal continue to rise and reach new levels, as confirmed by the latest data published by the Strategy and Planning Office (GEP) under the Ministry of Labor, Solidarity, and Social Security.

“In April 2025, the monthly wage rate of construction workers (…) reached €1,326, corresponding to a year-on-year variation of 5.1%,” the GEP reports. Gross wages rose across all professions analyzed, with heavy goods vehicle drivers standing out with the highest increase (8.4%), followed by plasterers (7.4%). Civil engineers recorded the smallest wage increase (5%).

In reality, civil engineers earn the highest wages (around €2,443 per month), followed by construction foremen (€1,782/month), heavy goods drivers (€1,323), and construction machinery operators (€1,307). Those who earn the least are unskilled civil engineering and building construction workers, earning €1,120 in April, after a year-on-year increase of 7.2%.

Although they earn more, civil engineers and foremen represent about 16% of the total workforce in the sector. The profession with the largest number of workers (almost a quarter of the total) is bricklaying, according to the data. Unskilled workers hold the second largest share (16.2%).

Wages by profession in construction in Portugal
Monthly wage rate in euros in April 2025
Variation between April 2025 and the same month of the previous year
% of workers in each profession relative to the total

(Table: idealista/news Source: Strategy and Planning Office of the Ministry of Labor Created with Datawrapper)

In which companies and regions do construction professionals work?

It is small and medium-sized enterprises that account for more than half of construction workers. Nevertheless, large companies (employing 250 or more professionals) still account for about 37% of the workforce in this sector.

Wages have risen at different rates depending on company size. “The growth of the monthly wage rate was higher in micro-enterprises (3.3%), followed by medium-sized enterprises (2.1%) and large enterprises (1.8%). Small enterprises also saw growth in the monthly wage rate, although more modest (0.9%),” notes the GEP.

Large construction companies pay the highest wages (an average of €1,579 per month). For example, civil engineers earn €2,811 in a large company, while in a micro-enterprise they earn only €1,951 – a difference of €860.

Construction wages by company size and profession
% of workers in each type of company relative to the national total
Wages in each profession and company type in April 2025 (euros)

(Table: idealista/news Source: Strategy and Planning Office of the Ministry of Labor Created with Datawrapper)

At the geographical level, it is clear that the North is the main employer in the construction sector, with 43% of workers. Less than 20% of the workforce is in the West and Tagus Valley, and only 16% in Greater Lisbon. Alentejo is the region with the least labor (3%).

Construction workers’ wages also rose in all regions, with salary growth above 6% in Alentejo and the West and Tagus Valley (both 6.6%), followed by the Center (6.2%). “Greater Lisbon recorded the highest wage rate, €1,432,” since it offers “the highest wages in practically all professional categories,” the office also states.

“Civil engineers earn an average of €2,864 in Greater Lisbon, the highest figure among all regions,” it reveals. Construction foremen are also better paid (€1,947 on average) in the capital’s metropolitan area. “Conversely, Alentejo shows the lowest wage rates,” the GEP adds, which is expected to publish the June statistical summary on construction professions on October 17.

Construction wages by regions and professions
% of workers in each region relative to the national total
Wages in each profession in each region in April 2025 (euros)