The Brazilian shipbuilding industry and the recent crisis: the case of Polo Naval and Offshore Rio Grande (state of Rio Grande do Sul)

Abstract This article analyzes the reactivation of the shipbuilding industry in Brazil in the 2000s as a result of the neo-developmentalist policy of the governments of Lula and Dilma, which immediately reflected in the creation of jobs in the sector. Based on the historical contextualization of this industry in Brazil, with the use of data provided by the Annual Social Information List (Rais), by the General Roll of Employed and Unemployed Individuals (Caged), by the employers’ association (SinavaL), and by an interview with the workers’ union (Stimmmerg) on employment and its recent hiring dynamics, we have found that, although this activity is seasonal, characterized by the hiring of workers for specific projects, the employment crisis in 2015 can be explained by the political and legal scenario that has settled in Brazil.