IEFP - Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional, I.P

The attempt to solve the employment problems arises, in Portugal, in the early 1930s, to face the unemployment that was felt as a reflection of the economic crisis. In 1931, a survey was carried out to determine the volume of unemployed (about 41000) and, as a result, the Commissioner and the Unemployment Fund were created in 1932 (Dec. 21 699) under the supervision of the Ministry of Public Works, with a clearly defensive philosophy of action in the face of the situation. "With the knowledge of the way in which it is used to attack unemployment in the countries that saw it born: the gracious allowance, alms from the treasury, established as a natural right of the individual who has no work. The dangers of this measure are known or guessed, even in countries of high culture and those who adopted it certainly did it as an extreme resource, before millions of standing still, powerless to make them live a productive march. Fortunately, Portugal is not in such a precarious condition and, it, guides the Government in a different direction to solve such a high social problem.