The number of US companies that hired Brazilian workers increased from 865 in 2022 to 1,271 last year – a 46.9% rise. Among the companies that most sought national labor are names like Dakota Provisions, Microsoft, Google, Fogo de Chão, Amazon, McKinsey, and Siemens.
The data is part of the 2024 edition of the survey “The US Companies that Hire the Most Brazilians”, carried out annually by AG Immigration, a law firm specialized ingreen cards.
According to the numbers – collected from hundreds of thousands of new foreign worker applications made to the U.S. Department of Labor – Brazil was the seventh country with the most citizens going to work in the USA in 2023. The list is led by India (26.6 thousand), China (6.7 thousand), and Mexico (2.1 thousand).
The study considers recent immigrants to the US as permanent residents, without accounting for those who obtained a green card in previous years, those who came to work temporarily, or cases where employment notification to the Department of Labor is waived.
Leda Oliveira, CEO of AG Immigration, explains that the immigration flow to the USA has intensified significantly in recent years due to the labor shortage in the American market and the slow growth rate of the Brazilian economy. "Access to higher education in Brazil over the past two decades has also contributed to this phenomenon, especially regarding the hiring of professionals with higher education degrees," he says.
In 2023, 28,050 Brazilians obtained the green card, which is the document that grants permanent residence to foreigners.It is the largest volume in history and the second consecutive record. Of these, just over 11,000 went toprofessionals with extraordinary skills, who are generally those with high academic qualifications or significant recognition, nationally or internationally, in their field.
Companies That Hired the Most Brazilians
The animal protein production industry and the building cleaning and maintenance services sector were the ones that hired the most Brazilians in 2023. The list is led by Dakota Provisions, a meat production company, which admitted 33 Brazilian citizens last year, all for the positions of packers and packagers.
Next, the United Maintenance Company appears, specialized in providing cleaning and maintenance services. The company hired 32 Brazilians to work as cleaners, janitors, and housekeepers. In third place is West Liberty Foods, a company from Iowa that produces beef and chicken protein and was responsible for opening 25 job openings for Brazilians to work in their meat processing operations.
As has happened in other years, US technology companies also stood out among the ten that hire the most Brazilians. In 2023, for example, Google employed 17 professionals in the field, the vast majority of whom were software developers and systems analysts. It's the same situation as Microsoft, which took 18 workers for the same roles.
A well-known name among meat lovers also made it into the ranking of U.S. companies that hire the most Brazilians. The Fogo de Chão churrascaria, which now has several locations on American soil, took 13 professionals to work in Uncle Sam's land, all for the position of head chefs.
The research also shows that most Brazilians (278) were hired to work in the state of Florida.Massachusetts (109), California (98), Texas (79), and New York (74) complete the top five destinations.
Educational Level of Brazilians in the USA
AG Immigration's research showed an increase in the hiring of Brazilians at all educational levels. According to the numbers, 635 of them had no education, 174 had only high school, 22 were technologists, 319 had a bachelor's degree, 96 were master's degree holders, and 24 were doctors.
"Even though lower-skilled jobs predominate, since there is much higher demand for them, it is notable how the profile of Brazilians migrating to America has changed in recent decades. They are increasingly occupying positions that require specialized knowledge and training," analyzes Leda.
Among Brazilians with higher education, the most common degree was Business Administration, with 98 professionals holding a diploma in the field. Next, Electrical Engineering (39), Computer Science (38), Mechanical Engineering (28), and Information Technology (26) appear.
The AG Immigration survey also revealed where these professionals graduated. As in previous years, the University of São Paulo led the list, with 23 alumni hired by U.S. companies in 2023. Behind are Estácio College (16), Unicamp (15), Unesp (13), and Mackenzie (12).
Eye-Popping Salaries
The highest salary identified by the survey among Brazilians hired by U.S. companies in 2023 was that of a doctor graduated from Gama Filho University, who went to work as a neurologist at Hartford Healthcare, a health company in Massachusetts. The specialist was admitted with a salary equivalent to R$ 328,000 per month, based on a conversion rate of 5.25 reais to each dollar.
An ophthalmologist from Innovis Health ($262,000/month), a developer from Goldman Sachs ($131,000/month), a financial manager from Burger King ($131,000/month) and an HR manager from Syngenta ($120,000/month) also stood out.
The lowest salary identified by the survey was for a nanny hired in Texas to earn R$ 7,600 per month. On average, the monthly remuneration of Brazilians was R$ 29,200. – below the global R$55.1 thousand, considering all nationalities of the 52,715 new immigrants hired by US companies in 2023.
“Figures like these show why there has been a brain drain from Brazil. These salaries are much higher than those available in the domestic market. We have particularly noticed a sharp exodus of professionals in the health sector, such as dentists, doctors, nurses and physiotherapists, as well as in engineering, law, marketing and sales,” points out the CEO of AG Immigration, who has lived in the US for 14 years.
The full research can be foundaccessed on the AG Immigration website.
