Portugal sees record number of temporary emigrants last year

LISBON - Over 85,000 Portuguese went abroad temporarily to seek jobs in 2014 as the debt-laden country was plagued by a high unemployment rate, the Portuguese National Institute of Statistics (PNIS) said on Tuesday.

Portugal's unemployment rate in May reached 14.3 percent, ranking the fifth among 28 European Union countries.

Under such circumstances, 85,000 Portuguese went abroad for jobs in 2014, up 10,000 from the previous year and 28,000 more than the number of 2011.

The number of permanent emigrants registered, however, fell to 49,000 last year for the first time since 2009, while the number of permanent immigrants rose from over 17,500 to over 19,500, according to the PNIS figures.

Although the unemployment rate in Portugal has been mildly decreasing for 13 consecutive months since May 2014, the country is still badgered by the lack of jobs as a result of the debt crisis that has swept across Europe since 2010.

The Portuguese government has since encouraged people to find opportunities abroad.