ABSTRACT
Labour markets have been profoundly affected by globalization and the economic restructuring made necessary by intensified competition. The postFordist era is characterized by the growth of service-based activities, greater job insecurity and higher unemployment, less powerful trade unions, rising female participation in the labour force, and a growing differentiation between the highskilled, well-paid and the less skilled, poorly paid in insecure employment. Promoting economic growth is no longer guaranteed to generate employment. New technologies and the emphasis on labour-saving mean that the umbilical cord that seemed to exist between growth and employment has been severed. Increasingly attention is focused on factors such as the quality and durability of the new jobs created, the flexibility of labour and the regulatory regime. How has Portugal responded to this challenge and to what extent have national traditions and social characteristics persisted?
