According to the data provided by Eurostat, Portugal, Cyprus, and the Netherlands are the three EU countries where the highest number of immigrants that come from outside of the EU are working on temporary employment contracts.
The data shows that, in Portugal, one-fourth of foreign workers have a temporary employment contract. This number is well above the EU average, placing Portugal in the top three. Out of all the EU countries, only Cyprus and the Netherlands have more immigrants in these conditions.
In Cyprus, 53.9% of foreign workers coming from outside of the EU have such contracts, followed by 46.4% in the Netherlands, and 42.3% in Portugal.
This 42.3% accounts for 23% or, in other words, almost one-fourth, of the total number of workers in Portugal.
Moreover, Portugal and the Netherlands are also the countries where the most non-foreign workers are working in such conditions. In Portugal, more than 17% of workers with Portuguese nationality have temporary employment contracts.
This, of course, shows the precarious working conditions the country uses to operate. This is not something new. There are several studies and data reports attesting to this reality. The General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (CGTP), for example, which is a national entity, also wrote about this issue, a problem that has been accelerating at a rapid rate in the last few years.
Portugal has a big percentage of the workforce on temporary contracts, which is seen as a precarious condition. A recent study that was also published this week showed that the risk of poverty, for workers on temporary employment contracts, is three times bigger than for those on non-precarious conditions.
Furthermore, the Eurostat report also showed that, in Portugal, there are less foreign workers working for themselves and more that only work part-time. Overall, 22.4% of foreign workers from outside of the EU have part-time jobs.
