Unemployment reaches lowest level in May, registering a drop of 8.3%, according to IBGE
According to the institute, the unemployment rate showed a reduction of 0.3 point percentage (8.6%) compared to the previous quarter. According to the analysis, this decrease was mainly influenced by the drop in the number of job seekers, rather than a significant increase in workers.
Photo Reproduction/Amanda Perobelli/Reuters
According to the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD) Continuous, released by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the unemployment rate in Brazil in the moving quarter ended in May was 8.3%. This is the best result for the unemployment rate in this quarter since 2015, when it also reached 8.3%. Compared to the previous quarter, from December to February, there was a reduction of 0.3 percentage points (8.6%) in the unemployment rate. In the same period of 2022, the rate was 9.8%.
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The result of the survey revealed that there was a 3% reduction in the total number of unemployed people compared to the previous quarter, totaling 8.9 million individuals. This represents a decrease of 279 thousand people compared to the last quarter of the previous year. Compared to the same period in 2022, there was a drop of 15.9%, which is equivalent to 1.7 million workers.
In the previous quarter, the total number of persons employed remained stable, reaching 98.4 million Brazilians. Compared to the same period of the previous year, there was a growth of 0.9%, which represents an increase of 884 thousand people in this group. The decrease in the quarter was more influenced by the drop in the number of people looking for work than by a significant increase in workers. The reduction in the unemployment rate was the result of less pressure on the labor market, as stated by Adriana Beringuy, coordinator of Household Sample Surveys.
According to the survey, the data reveal the following numbers:
The vacancy rate is 8.3%
The unemployed population is 8.9 million people
The employed population totaled 98.4 million
Population outside the labor force is 67.1 million
The disheartened population is 3.7 million. Regarding the type of occupation, there are 36.8 million employees with a formal contract, 12.9 million employees without a formal contract, 25.2 million self-employed workers, 5.7 million domestic workers and 38.3 million informal workers. The informality rate reaches 38.9%.
Population off the market
The increase of people leaving the job market is one of the points highlighted by the IBGE. According to the institute, there was a growth of 0.6% in the population outside the labor market compared to the previous quarter and an increase of 3.6% compared to last year, totaling 67.1 million people. This represents an increase of 382 thousand people in the quarter and 2.3 million throughout the year. On the other hand, the population in the workforce ended the quarter with 107.3 million people. This result indicates stability in relation to the previous quarter and a drop of 0.7% compared to the previous year.
Disheartened population
The amount of disheartened people registered a decrease, totaling 3.7 million. This reduction represents a drop of 6.2% in the quarter and 14.3% in the year. According to IBGE analyses, some of the reasons for this retraction in the labor market are the increase in the length of stay of young people in educational institutions and the lack of return of the elderly to the market after the pandemic period. These are the hypotheses raised by Beringuy, from the IBGE.
Job market
In the quarter, the public administration sector recorded the highest increase in the number of workers, contributing significantly to a 2.5% growth in the labor market, which is equivalent to an increase of 429 thousand people. Among the segments that most stood out in this increase, the education area was the main responsible.
Furthermore, the institute pointed out annual increases relevant in the sectors of transport, storage and mail, with a growth of 4.2% and the addition of over 216 thousand people; information, communication and financial, real estate, professional and administrative activities, with a growth of 3.8% and the addition of over 440 thousand people; and public administration, defense, social security, education, human health and social services, with a growth of 4.5% and the addition of over 764 thousand people.
At the other extreme, the quarter showed a decrease in the total number of professionals employed in the Agriculture, Livestock, Forest Production, Fishing and Aquaculture sectors. There was a drop of 1.9%, equivalent to 158 thousand people. Throughout the year, the group suffered a reduction of 6.2%, which represents a decrease of 542 thousand people. The Construction sector also experienced a significant drop in the year, with a reduction of 3.7% (274 thousand people).
Performance
In the previous quarter, the usual real income remained unchanged at R$2,901. Throughout the year, there was a growth of 6.6%. In addition, the usual real earnings mass was estimated at R$ 280.9 billion. While it remained flat from the previous quarter, there was an increase of 7.9% compared to the prior year.
