Por que os Supermercados estão DESESPERADOS?!

Overview

In the past, working in Brazilian supermarkets was often a first step into formal employment. The video argues this is no longer the case: despite hundreds of thousands of vacancies, supermarkets struggle to hire because the job is losing appeal—especially for younger workers—due to rigid schedules, poor working conditions (often without air conditioning), low pay, and extra responsibilities.

Main reasons supermarkets can’t fill jobs

• Low unemployment makes workers harder to find, not easier. The unemployment rate is cited as near a historic low (IBGE ~6.6%), and the labor market has shifted: companies now compete for workers, rather than workers actively searching for available roles.
• The “real job” is often not what the listing promises. Auto-generated descriptions and examples show roles bundled with multiple tasks (stocking, cleaning, checkout support, etc.), leading workers to feel they’re effectively doing more for insufficient compensation.
• Pay doesn’t match the cost of living. The video contrasts typical supermarket wages against expenses such as food basket costs, rent, transport, and utilities—arguing salaries don’t reliably cover basic living needs.
• High turnover traps supermarkets in a cycle. Even when hiring succeeds, workers often leave quickly. The video highlights that many core roles (cashiers, stockers, butchers, attendants, food service assistants, packers) make up most of the workforce and are those most affected by shortages.
• Some stores delay or cancel openings. An example cited is that OXXO halted planned store openings in São Paulo because it couldn’t assemble a team.

Strategies being used (and why they may not be enough)

• Raising starting pay is described as one of the few strategies still working (CNC economist quoted), but it’s sometimes insufficient by itself.
• Hiring non-traditional candidates: supermarkets increasingly recruit older workers, retirees, people with disabilities, and even people without prior experience, framing these groups as more stable or more willing to accept routine work.
• Using CADÚnico (the government registry for low-income families) as a recruitment pipeline; Carrefour is said to have hired tens of thousands of people through it in 2024.
• Intermittent work is expanding. The video notes it looks like a solution for flexibility, but it is precarious because workers are called only when needed and lack income stability.
• Partnering with the military: supermarkets reportedly hire reservists after mandatory service, assuming discipline and early routines translate to retail work; Abra claims a large share finds employment soon after leaving the military.
• Faster hiring tech (matching platforms): hiring is sped up using platforms (e.g., “Tust/Help” referenced), compared to waiting days for calls.
• But the central problem is retention, not hiring. HR guidance in the video stresses that without onboarding, career planning, and a minimally healthy work environment, workers leave after the first paycheck or an alternative offer.
• Automation/self-checkout: supermarkets increasingly adopt self-checkouts to reduce labor demand. The video mentions mixed reactions internationally (complaints like slowness and theft), while in Brazil adoption is growing (including claims about major chains’ high penetration). It frames automation as a partial answer, but raises a key question: if stores remove more employees, will they still be able to find enough labor—especially from the groups they’re currently targeting?

Overall conclusion

Vacancies persist, but fewer people want supermarket work. Without improvements to pay, scheduling, working conditions, and retention systems, supermarkets may be forced into increasingly precarious hiring and greater reliance on automation.

Presenters / Contributors (as named in the subtitles)

• Márcio Milan (Abras vice-president)
• Fábio Bentes (economist at CNC)
• Cícero Pimenteira (economist at UFRJ)
• Evelyn Rodriguez (HR specialist)