Job Market and Living Costs in Lisbon
Feb 13th 2017, 10:56 am
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 2
Job Market and Living Costs in Lisbon
Dear All,
Sorry if you get a lot of posts like this, but I'd be really grateful for any advice you might have!
I have recently been offered a six year job contract in Lisbon, but one of the deciding factors regarding whether or not to take up the position is the job prospects my wife might have out there. We've done a bit of googling and there seems to be a lot of different information out there ranging from "it's almost impossible for a foreigner to find good work in Lisbon" to "there are quite a lot of opportunities but you need to work hard for them".
My wife is educated to MA level (Social Policy and Social Research) and her previous work experience is a mixture of bar work, customer services, administration and account management (the latter two in the scientific/medical tech sector).
She doesn't want to go back to hospitality type employment, but would consider TEFL type jobs if those are available. She doesn't speak Portuguese but would be intending to learn (and might have learned some by the time we move out).
What realistically are the opportunities likely to be for her in Lisbon? We'd be very grateful for any info/advice/opinion you have.
Secondly, my salary would be in the region of 1500euro/month take home pay - would that be enough for a couple to get by on in Lisbon if she did have trouble finding work for a while?
Thanks in advance for your help - appreciate it!
Sorry if you get a lot of posts like this, but I'd be really grateful for any advice you might have!
I have recently been offered a six year job contract in Lisbon, but one of the deciding factors regarding whether or not to take up the position is the job prospects my wife might have out there. We've done a bit of googling and there seems to be a lot of different information out there ranging from "it's almost impossible for a foreigner to find good work in Lisbon" to "there are quite a lot of opportunities but you need to work hard for them".
My wife is educated to MA level (Social Policy and Social Research) and her previous work experience is a mixture of bar work, customer services, administration and account management (the latter two in the scientific/medical tech sector).
She doesn't want to go back to hospitality type employment, but would consider TEFL type jobs if those are available. She doesn't speak Portuguese but would be intending to learn (and might have learned some by the time we move out).
What realistically are the opportunities likely to be for her in Lisbon? We'd be very grateful for any info/advice/opinion you have.
Secondly, my salary would be in the region of 1500euro/month take home pay - would that be enough for a couple to get by on in Lisbon if she did have trouble finding work for a while?
Thanks in advance for your help - appreciate it!
Feb 13th 2017, 11:43 am
#2
Resident Cynic
Joined: Aug 2013
Location: Suffolk,UK; Alentejo, Portugal
Posts: 14,960
Re: Job Market and Living Costs in Lisbon
What about accommodation? That would take a big slice out of your wages in Lisbon.... €1500 a month is more than twice the minimum wage for a couple working full-time, so it is enough to keep you, but any extra would improve your quality of life.
Your wife's education and work experience may not be directly transferable here and she'd certainly need to speak Portuguese to have a reasonable chance of a job. There may be openings for native English speakers living in Lisbon, but I'd think they'd be few and far between. You could be lucky, but it's risky.
Your wife's education and work experience may not be directly transferable here and she'd certainly need to speak Portuguese to have a reasonable chance of a job. There may be openings for native English speakers living in Lisbon, but I'd think they'd be few and far between. You could be lucky, but it's risky.
Feb 13th 2017, 12:03 pm
#3
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 2
Re: Job Market and Living Costs in Lisbon
Thanks Macliam - good to know it's probably doable cost wise if a bit tight. Yeah, I figured rent would be the big thing - been doing a bit of looking online and it seems that there are reasonable sized apartments in the €600-€700 range.
