One of the reasons given for emigrating is precisely the
salary level. “We are talking about people who earned a thousand euros [in Portugal]
and in the destination countries will earn three thousand or more euros”,
points out one of the authors of the study, João Teixeira Lopes.
“An investment is made in the training of young people, who
then do not have the due recognition in Portuguese society and end up
emigrating. There is not enough return for the development of the country”, he
lamented, considering that “we are losing the most qualified generation”.
The investigation involved qualified young people who emigrated to Europe and who represent a quarter of the Portuguese who left the country in the last decade, according to the sociologist, professor, and researcher at the Institute of Sociology of the University of Porto. Although the majority of young people leaving the country do not have a university degree, the number of qualified emigrants rose by 87.5%, reaching 11% of the total number of emigrants in 2015.