Portugal

APG - Portuguese Association of People Management

Other information

President (Non-Executive):	Luís Bento
Executive Director:	Vitor Carvalho
International Manager:	Luís Bento
Date Association Founded:	1964
National Employers' Association:	CCP: Av. D. Vasco da Gama, 29-1400, Lisbon, Portugal (Confederação de Comércio Português), CIP: Av. 5 de Outubro, 35, 1º - 1050 Lisbon, Portugal (Confederação da industria Portugesa), CAP: Av. Colégio Militar, Lte 1786 - 1500, Lisbon, Portugal (Confederação dos Agricultores de Portugal)
National Unions' Association:	CGTP/IN (Confederação Geral dos Trabalhadores Portugueses): Rua Victor Cordon, 1 - 1249-102 Lisbon, Portugal; UGT (União Geral de Trabalhadores): Avenida Almirante Gago Coutinho, 132 – 1700-033 Lisbon, Portugal
Government Employment Office:	Secretaria de Estado do Emprego e da Formação Profissional, Praça de Londres, 2 – 15º, 1049-056 Lisbon, Portugal
Total Number Of Members:	1,500
Membership Categories:	Individuals (professionals and students) and organisations
Number of Regional Branches:	2
Recognition of other External Qualifications:	Trainers' & Coaches Group of Experts
Title of Primary Publication and Frequency of Issue:	“Pessoal” magazine (monthly)
Details of Professional Education Schemes:	Workshops, training courses, seminars and conferences in subjects related to HRM
Annual National Conference Dates:	45th APG National Conference, "People - Trust, Courage and Cooperation". October 30 2012 in Lisboa

Country Profile 2005

Real GDP growth: -1.2% (2003); 1.3% in 2004* against 2.5%* in the EU
Inflation rate: 3.3% (related to year 2003); 2.4% (estimate 2004)*
Trends: Real Growth GDP:
- 2.2% (2005)* and 2.4% (2006) *, under EU average in those years
Inflation: 2.4 % (2005)* and 2.3 (2006)*

Party in power: Right coalition between the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Popular Party (CDS/PP)
Changes over the last 12 months: General elections were called after Parliament dissolution, in December 2004. They are to take place on the 20th February 2005.
Major issues on the agenda: - Budget deficit difficult to keep under 3% of GDP (according to the Stability and Growth Pact)
- High unemployment and economic stagnation
- Poor growth performance and divergence from EU average per capita income for the last few years
- New Labour legislation
- New Social Security legislation
- Portuguese troops in Irak
- Loss of competitiveness and mediocre performance of exports
- Discussion of abortion law

Employment rate: 67.3% (2003)#
Unemployment rate: 6.3% (2003); 6.3% in 2004*; 6.2% (2005)*; 6.1% (2006)*
Job growth: -0.4% (2003); 0.4% in 2004*; 1.0% in 2005*; 1.2% in 2006*
Skills shortages: Highly skilled workers and engineers in electronics, informatics, systems administration, business services, etc.; crafts workers; low skilled workers for personal services, domestic service and agriculture
Rate of pay increases: In nominal terms, per capita: 4.1% in 2003; 3.1% in 2004*; 3.6% in 2005*; and 3.8% in 2006*

New employment legislation: new labour legislation
New government initiatives: law of vocational training, labour legislation, public administration recast
Trends to notice: - Difficulty in reconciling labour legislation reform with a weak performance in job creation and a high level of unemployment and precarious jobs
- Dualism in labour markets seems to have been reinforced over the last years, regarding wage rates, stability and fringe benefits
- Low fertility rates will affect labour offer in the near future - Strong immigration trends from PALOPs, Brazil and Eastern Europe (for low skilled, low paid jobs
News: - Very high rate of women participation in the labour market is to have consequences in fertility rates and children and elderly caring, poor public infrastruture being provided

Social security contribution: 11% (employee contribution); and 23.75% (employer contribution) of the salary
Tax rate: Around 20% of gross income (for a professional earning median salary)

European Commission, Economic Forecasts - autumn 2004
#European Commission, Employment in Europe – 2004

Name: APG – Portuguese Association of Human Resource Managers
Internet Source: Bank of Portugal (www.bportugal.pt) and European Commission