People of the Lift

Liftman, or groom as they are often called in the luxury sector. They work mostly in office buildings, in the "Centro" – the business district – as well as at shopping centers and private universities. They job consists of welcoming users and then selecting the appropriate floor. They work seated on a chair which often takes a quarter of the available space. In many cases they are required to stay seated, a directive that can be understood as will to belittle the staff in front of the "customers". As is already the case for doormen, this service is paid by a middle class which can afford it, not only by a wealthy class. But Brazil is changing. The job market is growing thanks to booming economy of the country which just became the world's sixth economic power after passing the United Kingdom in 2011. The minimum wage was multiplied by 3 in the past ten years, reaching 678 Reais per month (around 300$). The relevant population, the emerging middle class which is referred to as "Class C" keeps getting more and more opportunities in the job market and is beginning to disregard this type of job which does not allow any income or professional evolution. Moreover the traditional middle class ("Class B") who has enjoyed these services for over two centuries is slowly losing the ability to afford them. While salaries have increase for everyone, the purchasing power has gone down drastically making these job progressively outdated.