The unemployment rate in the 4th quarter of 2014 was estimated at 6.5% for Brazil. This estimate represented a drop when compared with the 3rd quarter of 2014 (6.8%) and a growth over the 4th quarter of 2013 (6.2%). In the year, this rate stayed at 6.8%, below the rate of 7.1% registered in 2013 and of 7.4% in 2012. The unemployed population also dropped when compared with the immediately previous quarter, changing from 6.7 million to 6.5 million persons.

The employment-population ratio - indicator that measures the portion of the employed population in relation to the working age population - was estimated at 56.9% in the 4th quarter of 2014 in Brazil, remaining stable against the previous quarter (56.8%) and the 4th quarter last year (57.3%). Also in the 4th quarter of 2014, 77.7% of the persons employed in the private sector had a formal labor contract, an upgrade of 1.3 percentage points over the 4th quarter of the previous year.

The complete publication including the information released today is available on link https://www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/indicadores/trabalhoerendimento/pnad_continua/.

Unemployment rate among women hits 7.7% in Q4 2014

The unemployment rate showed significant differences among men and women, which could be noticed in the five Major Regions. In the fourth quarter of 2014, this rate was estimated at 5.6% for men and at 7.7% for women.

In regional terms, the unemployment rate expanded in the Northeast (from 7.9% to 8.3%), Southeast (from 6.2% to 6.6%) and Central-West (from 4.9% to 5.3%) Regions when compared with the fourth quarter of 2013, whereas it remained stable in the North and South Regions.

The unemployment rate of youngsters aged between 18 and 24 years (14.1%) remained above the estimated total average rate. This behavior was also noticed in the five Major Regions, ranging between 8.4% in the South and 17.4% in the Northeast. In the groups aged between 25 and 39 years and between 40 and 59 years, this indicator stayed at 6.3% and 3.3%, respectively.

The unemployment rate for persons who did not complete the secondary level of education (11.6%) was higher than those rates reported by other groups of schooling level. The rate for the group of persons who did not complete higher education was estimated at 6.8%, twice the rate reported by those with complete higher education (3.4%).

North and Northeast reveal highest percentages of self-employed workers

In the fourth quarter of 2014, the employed population comprised 69.5% of employees, 4.2% of employers, 23.4% of self-employed workers and 2.8% of assisting family workers. The survey pointed out to regional differences among the ways of insertion in the labor market. The percentage of self-employed workers was higher in the North (29.9%) and Northeast (29.7%) Regions than in the other regions. Concerning assisting family workers, the North (6.7%) and Northeast (4.1%) Regions also reported the highest participation of these workers.

A significant share of persons was employed in the private sector (72.8%), 18.0% in the public sector and and the others (9.3%) in domestic services. By expanding the participation of domestic workers in the employed population from 8.8% to 9.5%, the North Region stood out.

Increasing number of workers with formal contract

In the fourth quarter of 2014, 77.7% of the persons employed in the private sector had a formal labor contract, an upgrade of 0.6 percentage points over the same quarter of 2013. Among the domestic workers, the survey showed that 32.1% of them had a formal labor contract in the fourth quarter of 2014, above the rate of 31.1% recorded in the same quarter last year. Military and statutory servants accounted for 68.2% of those employed in the public sector.

The North (64.8%) and Northeast (63.4%) Regions registered the lowest percentages in this indicator. Except for the Southeast Region, which kept stable, the proportion of persons employed in the private sector with a formal contract increased in all the regions in this period. Among the domestic workers, the survey showed that 32.1% of them had a formal labor contract in the fourth quarter of 2014, which represented an advance against the proportion in the fourth quarter of 2013 (31.1%).

Employment-population ratio stays at 56.9% in Q4 2014

In the fourth quarter of 2014, the employment-population ratio in Brazil was estimated at 56.9%. No statistically significant difference was detected in relation to the previous quarter (56.8%). In the fourth quarter of 2014, the Central-West (61.5%) and South (61.2%) Regions posted the highest percentage of persons working among those at working age, and the Northeast Region, the lowest (52.2%).

The analyses pointed out to differences in the employment-population ratio among men and women, i.e., the proportion of men aged 14 years and over working was higher than women in the same age bracket. In the fourth quarter of 2014, the employment-population ratio in Brazil was estimated at 68.2% for men and at 46.7% for women. The different behavior of this indicator among men and women was detected in the five Major Regions, highlighted by the North Region, which posted the highest difference (about 27 percentage points), and the South Region, which registered the lowest difference (about 19 percentage points).

In the fourth quarter of 2014, the employment-population ratio of the group aged between 25 and 39 years was estimated at 75.8% and at 69.9% for the group aged between 40 and 59 years. It was estimated at 57.9% for youngsters aged between 18 and 24 years. The estimate was 15.9% for underage persons (aged between 14 and 17 years), while it was 22.1% for senior citizens (aged 60 and over).

In general, the analyses pointed out that groups of persons with higher level of education posted higher employment-population ratios. It should be highlighted that about 32.0% of the persons with no education were working in the fourth quarter of 2014. The employment-population ratio reached 79.7% among those persons who completed higher education.

39.1% of persons aged 14 years and over out of workforce

In the fourth quarter of 2014, 39.1% of persons at working age were classified as out of the workforce, i.e., those who were neither employed nor unemployed in the reference week of the survey. The Northeast Region registered the highest portion of persons out of the workforce (43.1%). The Central-West (35.0%) and South (36.4%) Regions recorded the lowest percentages. This picture did not significantly change along the time series.

The population out of the workforce was compound mostly by women (66.2%). Furthermore, about 35.0% of the population out of the workforce comprised of senior citizens (persons aged 60 years and over). Those aged less than 25 years added up to 29.2% and the adults, aged between 25 and 59 years, represented 36.3%. The South (39.9%) and Southeast (39.0%) Regions posted the highest percentages of senior citizens out of the workforce. On the other hand, the percentage of senior citizens out of the workforce hit the lowest rates in the North and Northeast Regions (23.0% and 29.7%).

In the fourth quarter of 2014, over half of the population (54.9%) did not complete the primary education and just under a quarter of the population concluded at least the secondary education. It is worth reminding that senior citizens were the largest portion of persons out of the workforce and with the lowest schooling level.