Salaries for university graduates fall by up to 22% – Study

The wages of workers with higher education have fallen by an average of 11% over the last decade and have retreated by 3% for those with secondary education, reveals the report “State of the Nation: Education, employment and skills in Portugal”, by the José Neves Foundation, reports LUSA.

The 2022 edition of the report was presented on 21 June through the digital platform and social networks of the José Neves Foundation (FJN). According to the study, between 2011 and 2019 the average salary of the Portuguese increased only for workers with basic education, by around 5%, mainly due to the increase in the national minimum wage and through collective bargaining. On the other hand, workers with higher and secondary education have registered, on average, real losses in wages of 11% and 3% respectively in the last decade.

In the case of the youngest qualified workers, salary falls were even more accentuated, with university graduates registering average salary drops of 15%, while masters degree graduates saw their salaries fall 12% and PhDs 22%, the report highlights.
Full report on the Macau Business site