In Portugal, workers who change companies have generally recorded higher salary increases than those who remain with the same employer. This difference became particularly significant between 2022 and 2024, a period during which those who changed companies saw their remuneration increase by approximately 10% to 11% per year, while workers who remained with the same company recorded increases between 6% and 8%. The authors André Pinção Lucas and Juliano Ventura, in an article in partnership with the Instituto +Liberdade, explain that this disparity does not mean that changing jobs, by itself, causes a salary increase, since those who change may have different characteristics from those who stay.
The data suggest that labour mobility can function as an important mechanism for salary progression. In a dynamic labour market, workers have more opportunities to seek companies that better value their skills. At the same time, greater ease of change increases competition among employers for talent, which puts pressure on companies to offer more competitive remuneration and conditions to attract or retain workers.
The notable exception to this trend occurred between 2011 and 2013, during the public debt crisis and Troika intervention. During that period, those who changed companies had worse salary evolution than those who stayed, due to high unemployment, few available opportunities, and substantially reduced workers' bargaining power in an economy in strong contraction.
The authors conclude that, although professional stability has value, it can also have an opportunity cost. When alternatives exist and the labour market is competitive, being able to change companies can be one of the most effective ways to achieve better salary conditions.
