The number of temporary and fixed-term employment contracts for Portuguese workers in Brazil has increased in 2013 and 2014, as a result of the World Cup, according to the Ministry of Labour and Employment Brazil.

The number of employment contracts for Portuguese workers rose from 1,547 in 2011 to 2,913 in 2013. During the first quarter of 2014 there were 443 applications accepted for both temporary and permanent contracts.

Taking into account only fixed-term contracts for two years, there were 1,046 Portuguese workers in Brazil in 2013, up from 468 two years ago. Between January and March 2014, there were 232 Portuguese workers on two year fixed-term contracts, up from 197 during the same period in 2013.

The Coordinator General for Immigration for the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Aldo Candido à Lusa, said that while the number of applications from foreign workers have not increased by any great degree as a result of the World Cup, there was a jump in the number of approvals for Portuguese applicants, especially engineers.

“In Brazil, the demand for foreign workers is economic, requests are made by employers. With the crisis in Europe, they are taking advantage of the experience of skilled workers from Portugal, mainly in the area of construction,” he said.

This article was originally published by Staffing Industry Analysts