Between 2018 and 2021, there was rapid growth in the real value of average and median wages in Portugal, as measured in this study by the evolution of average and median gross monthly earnings and average gross monthly earnings per employee. This growth was uneven across the economic fabric, and was much more pronounced in the sectors of economic activity which, in general, have lower average salaries.

Microdata refers to databases in which the micro-unit is the central element of analysis - individuals, families or companies. This data is traditionally collected through surveys, censuses or administrative data and allows users/researchers to analyze a wide range of topics and relationships between subpopulations.

This study revisits the way in which the Great Lockdown, resulting from the measures declared in the State of Emergency to deal with the current pandemic, has already affected the Portuguese labor market, seeking, in particular, to reflect on the dynamics of unemployment growth and the process of adaptation to teleworking and other situations resulting from the lockdown.

This study, prepared by a team from CoLABOR, carries out a first analysis of the verified and estimated impacts of COVID-19 on the Portuguese labor market, as well as how society is experiencing the crisis caused by the coronavirus, from the point of view of income and the transition to teleworking.

This text discusses, from a critical perspective, the cumulative and impactful effects that could result from the current pandemic.