Around 1 million new jobs were created in Portugal since its 1986 EU accession.

Omissions

• The claim rounds up: the official European Commission comparison for the exact same metric and period (employment in Portugal, 1986 vs. 2024) shows an increase of about 800,000 jobs (4 million in 1986 to 4.8 million in 2024), roughly 20-25% below the claimed 'around 1 million'.
• Employment levels vary slightly by source and definition (e.g. Statistics Portugal/INE reports about 5.0 million employed in 2024), so the increase can appear somewhat larger if 2024 figures from a different series are combined with the 1986 baseline; the consistent official EU series gives ~800,000.
• The figure is presented as an EU-achievement talking point without citing a source; the European Commission's own promotional page is the closest official reference and yields the lower number.

Sources

• PrimaryEuropean Commission — 'Portugal', 40 years together (EU enlargement)'...employment rising from 4 million jobs in 1986 to 4.8 million in 2024.' (implying a net increase of about 800,000 jobs since accession)