Understand why the economic aspect helped Caxias
Contrary to the largest Brazilian municipalities, which are experiencing an unprecedented moment of population loss, Caxias do Sul is strengthened as a center that welcomes more and more new residents. The municipality of Serra is the city that has grown the most in population in Rio Grande do Sul, according to the first results of the 2022 Census, released on Wednesday (28) by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). From 2010 to 2022, Caxias gained 27,774 thousand new residents, reaching 463,338 inhabitants in the city.
For Lodonha Soares, a researcher at the Labor Observatory, Innovation and Development Center of the University of Caxias do Sul (UCS), two factors are essential for this growth: the formal labor market? led by industries? and good infrastructure. Lodonha points out that, firstly, Caxias attracted people from other regions of the state, such as Campanha and Zona Sul. Then there are immigrants from Venezuela, Senegal and Haiti. Today, she already notices the increase in the population coming from other regions of Brazil, such as Minas Gerais and the Northeast.
The city has a very interesting formal market quality. Do we have a strong industrial sector, a service sector, trade sector and various areas within the major economic sectors that attract this workforce and basically formalized jobs? Complements.
Regarding infrastructure, Lodonha points out that some areas are differentiated, such as health, transportation and safety.
Do we have problems? Have. But if we analyze this whole set of basic infrastructure, in Caxias do Sul it is very different in relation to other cities. Not only employment, which is a big driver, but we have the infrastructure, is this a set that, taken together, makes people decide to live here? analyzes Lodonha
Another point defended by the researcher is about the will of people to improve the quality of life. Lodonha believes that there is a migration of people from large urban centers, such as capitals, to inland cities with good structure.
Stress of a big city is much greater. From the hustle and bustle, from the very distance between home and workplace, then people look for cities that can offer the same things as a bigger but less stressful city. Caxias do Sul has this characteristic of attraction, of being a city that, now, is much more welcoming to different, different groups, foreigners, nationals, this in some way, also enriches the culture of the city? the researcher points out.
The vice president of the Union of Metallurgical, Mechanical and Electrical Material Industries of Caxias do Sul and Region (Simecs), Ruben Bisi, says that the municipality has followed the growth of Brazil and directs growth to the "very strong industrial base", especially linked to agribusiness.
It (agro) has pulled a lot in recent years and we provide here equipment for agro in the part of implements, machines and harvesters, planters, but also in the transport of grain, which is the case of Randon, Guerra and its suppliers, so we attract many workers without training and that we train within the companies to the industry? comments the vice president of Simecs.
Bisi also says that, although there is a shortage of skilled labor, Caxias is a city of full employment and, therefore, becomes attractive to people.
We have a growth in the total workforce in the region in recent years. We are recovering from that crisis of 2008/2009, which had a great evasion of people from Caxias, now we are recovering? Ends.
Caxias do Sul today
- 463,338 inhabitants (growth of 6.38% compared to 2010)
- 2nd largest municipality in RS
- 6th most populous in the South
- 48th largest municipality in the country
- 220,347 households (growth of 35.7%)
- Average of 2.5 residents per household
- Population density of 280.42 inhabitants per square kilometer
Author/Source: GZH 29/06/2023, Census 2022
