Economy

Remote work added a new dimension to Brazil’s brain drain

In late 2020, Daniel, a 32-year-old data engineer from the southeastern Brazilian state of Espírito Santo, began looking for work opportunities abroad. He and his wife initially planned to emigrate to Canada, but after a bit of research Daniel quickly realized there was a wealth of opportunities for him to work for foreign companies — without even having to leave Brazil. In March 2021, he landed a job working remotely for a San Francisco-based startup. 

“We ended up deciding to stay here in Brazil, especially because with a salary in U.S. dollars, we have a very comfortable life in Brazil,” Daniel told The Brazilian Report, over Zoom. 

His case illustrates an increasingly common phenomenon in Brazil’s tech sector: skilled workers are increasingly being lured by foreign companies to work for them, while remaining based in Brazil. Italo Nogueira, chair of Assespro, an association representing Brazilian tech firms, describes the process as the country “exporting our brains without them physically leaving Brazil.”

The trend is driven by a global shortage of tech talent, which has led companies in rich countries to seek skilled labor abroad. And this virtual outsourcing...

Constance Malleret

Recent Posts

Madonna concert to inject BRL 300 million into Rio economy

The city of Rio de Janeiro estimates that a Madonna concert this Saturday on Copacabana…

16 hours ago

Panama ready to vote as Supreme Court clears frontrunner

Latin America’s trend of banning opposition candidates from elections has caught on in an ever-growing…

16 hours ago

Sabesp privatization edges closer with São Paulo legislation

The São Paulo City Council on Thursday approved legislation authorizing Brazil’s largest city to sign…

19 hours ago

Brazil’s AI regulation gets first draft to guide upcoming debates

The preliminary report on AI regulations presented to Brazil’s Senate last week provides a middle-of-the-road…

20 hours ago

Ayrton Senna, a true Brazilian hero

In 2000, Formula 1 great Michael Schumacher had just racked up his 41st race win,…

2 days ago

OECD improves Brazil’s GDP growth forecast once again

Overall, the worldwide economic outlook has improved according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and…

2 days ago