Nearly 1,777 pregnant workers or parents on leave lost their jobs last year through contract non-renewals in Portugal, a figure that exposes the fragile intersection between employment precarity and family planning in the country. The data, released by the Commission for Equality Between Women and Men (CIMH/CGTP-IN), reveals that 1,777 notifications reached authorities in 2024 — a decline from the 1,894 cases recorded in 2023, yet still a stark reminder that becoming a parent remains professionally risky for thousands.
Why This Matters
• 1,777 contract non-renewals involved pregnant workers, new mothers, or parents on parental leave in 2024.
• 42% of Portuguese workers say their salary doesn't cover basic expenses — the second-highest rate in Europe.
• 12.5% gender pay gap persists, with women earning on average €161 less per month than men.
• 91% of fertility age women are postponing maternity due to economic and labor instability.
The Hidden Cost of Pregnancy on Job Security
The numbers tell an uncomfortable story. For the past five years, a total of 8,299 fixed-term contracts belonging to pregnant workers, nursing mothers, or parents on leave were not renewed, according to data from the Commission for Equality in Work and Employment (CITE). Add to that 534 dismissals and 544 terminations during probation periods, and a pattern emerges: parenthood continues to trigger professional vulnerability.
These notifications are mandatory — employers must inform CITE when ending contracts with protected workers. Not every case constitutes discrimination under the law. But the volume alone, as the union central pointedly noted, reveals "a labor vulnerability that cannot be ignored."
The problem is particularly acute for workers on temporary contracts, a category that disproportionately includes women and young professionals. Unlike permanent staff, fixed-term contract workers receive fewer protections, and proving that pregnancy motivated a non-renewal remains legally difficult despite existing safeguards.
Women Forced to Choose Between Careers and Children
The salary data explains much of the hesitation around family formation. In 2023, the average base salary for men was €1,286.20, compared to €1,124.90 for women — a 12.5% gap that widens to 15.4% when bonuses and supplements are included. That translates to €241.60 less per month for women.
"A birth policy cannot ask women to have more children while accepting that their work continues to be less valued and paid," argues the CIMH/CGTP-IN position paper released ahead of National Natality Day.
The demographic consequences are measurable. Portugal's fertility rate stands at 1.30 children per woman — far below the 2.1 replacement level needed to sustain the population. The average age of first-time mothers has risen from 30.0 years in 2014 to 30.4 years today.
"The postponement of motherhood is a measurable reality — and must be analyzed in light of the economic, labor and social conditions in which families live," the union document states.
Financial Precarity: The Portuguese Reality
Portugal finds itself at the sharp end of a European-wide crisis in living standards. According to the 20th Barometer on Poverty and Economic Precarity by French charity Secours Populaire, 75% of Portuguese respondents in precarious situations cite insufficient income as the primary cause — the third-highest rate among the 10 countries surveyed.
The study paints a grim picture: 42% of Portuguese workers — compared to a European average of 34% — admit their professional income fails to cover all expenses. The consequences manifest in daily sacrifices: families skipping outings (67% across Europe), restricting travel (57%), or going without new clothes when old ones wear out (50%).
More alarming still, 41% of Europeans surveyed reported being cold due to financial constraints, 33% abandoned health treatments due to cost, and 26% skipped meals due to hunger.
The anxiety is pervasive. 33% of Portuguese respondents fear falling into financial instability in the coming months — a concern shared most acutely in Greece, Italy, and Moldova.
What This Means for Residents
For anyone planning a family in Portugal, the message is clear: professional stability should be prioritized before pregnancy, especially for workers on fixed-term contracts. While Portuguese law protects against discriminatory dismissal, proving discrimination in contract non-renewals remains challenging.
Key protections exist. Workers on parental leave cannot be dismissed without authorization from CITE. Employers must provide written justification, and workers have the right to challenge adverse decisions. Yet the volume of non-renewals suggests enforcement gaps persist.
The Path Forward: 14 Proposed Measures
The CIMH/CGTP-IN has outlined an ambitious reform agenda, including:
• Zero tolerance for discrimination against pregnant workers and parents.
• Reinforced labor inspections to detect harassment or retaliation related to pregnancy.
• Extended parental leave paid at 100% of salary, regardless of duration or sharing.
• Universal pre-school access guaranteed for all children from age three.
• 35-hour work week without reduction in rights or pay.
• Public daycare network expansion to meet demand.
The union opposes government proposals to subsidize daycare centers operating beyond 11 hours daily, arguing such measures increase pressure on families rather than creating time for children.
A Question of Priorities
At its core, this crisis forces a confrontation between pronatalist rhetoric and workplace realities. Portugal's demographic trajectory — an aging population with insufficient births to replace retirees — creates pressure for pro-birth policies. Yet without addressing the structural vulnerabilities that make parenthood professionally costly, those policies ring hollow.
Demographic, labor and social data "show a worrying picture," the union concludes. "The problem cannot simply be explained by a lack of will to have children. The working and living conditions under which this decision is made must change."
For the 1,777 parents who lost contracts last year, that change cannot come soon enough.
