The unemployment rate for the moving quarter ended in October 2025 fell to 5.4%, repeating the lowest rate in the time series, which began in 2012. Compared to the moving quarter from May to June (5.6%), the rate fell by 0.2 percentage points (pp). Compared to the quarter ending in October 2024 (6.2%), the indicator fell by 0.7 pp. The data are from the Continuous National Household Sample Survey (PNAD), released today (28) by the IBGE.

In the quarter, the unemployed population fell to its lowest level since the beginning of the survey in 2012: 5.910 million, declining in both comparisons: -3.4% (207,000 fewer persons) in the quarter and -11.8% (788,000 fewer persons) in the year. The total number of workers in the country remained stable at 102.5 million, still at a record level, while the employment population ratio (percentage of employed persons in the working-age population) stood at 58.8%. The number of employed persons with formal contracts renewed its record, reaching 39.182 million.

The composite underutilization rate remained at 13.9%, the lowest in the time series of the Continuous National Household Sample Survey (Continuous PNAD). The number of time-related underemployed persons fell to 4.572 million, the lowest figure since the quarter ending in April 2016.

The potential workforce decreased to 5.2 million, the lowest number since the quarter ended in December 2015. During the pandemic, in the May-July 2020 quarter, this indicator had reached its peak: 13.8 million. The discouraged population reached 2.647 million, after having reached its highest value (5.829 million) in the January-March 2021 quarter.

According to Adriana Beringuy, coordinator of household surveys at IBGE, "the high number of employed persons in recent quarters contributes to reducing the job-seeking pressure and, as a result, the unemployment rate continues to decrease, reaching the lowest value in the time series this quarter."

In the quarter, Construction and Public Administration grew, but Other Services declined

Although the country's employed population remained statistically stable compared to the previous moving quarter, two of the ten activity sectors investigated by the Continuous PNAD showed growth during the period: Construction (2.6%, or 192,000 more persons) and Public administration, defense, social security, education, human health and social services (1.3%, or 252,000 more persons). There was a reduction in the Other Services sector (2.8%, or 156,000 fewer persons).

Compared to the same moving quarter of 2024, employment increased in two sectors: Transportation, storage and mail (3.9%, or 223,000 more persons) and Public administration, defense, social security, education, human health and social services (3.8%, or 711,000 more persons). There was a reduction in the following groups: Other services (3.6%, or 203,000 fewer persons) and Domestic services (5.7%, or 336,000 fewer persons).

Informality remains stable and the number of workers with formal contracts reaches a new record

In the quarter ended in October, the informality rate was 37.8% of the employed population, or the equivalent to 38.7 million informal workers, repeating the 37.8% of the previous moving quarter. However, this rate was below the 38.9% (or 40.3 million informal workers) of the quarter ending in October 2024.

The number of private sector employed persons with formal contracts maintained a record, reaching 39.182 million and showing stability in the quarter. In the annual comparison, this contingent grew by 2.4% (an increase of 927,000 persons). The number of employed persons in the public sector (12.9 million) remained stable in the quarter and increased by 2.4% (an increase of 298,000 persons) year-on-year.

Regarding informality, the number of employed persons without formal contracts in the private sector (13.6 million) remained stable in the quarter and decreased by 3.9% (a decrease of 550,000 persons) year-on-year. The number of self-employed workers (25.9 million) also remained stable in the quarter and increased by 3.1% (an increase of 771,000 persons) year-on-year.

Workers' wage bill reaches a new record: R$ 357.3 billion

The real average wage bill hit a new record, reaching R$ 357.3 billion, remaining stable in the quarter and increasing by 5.0% (an increase of R$ 16.9 billion) year-on-year.

The average real usual earnings of workers also reached a record, remaining statistically stable in the quarter and growing by 3.9% year-on-year. In the quarterly comparison, only one occupation category saw an increase in earnings: Information, Communication, and Financial, Real Estate, Professional, and Administrative Activities (3.9%, or an increase of R$ 190). The other groups did not show significant change.

Compared to the August-October 2024 quarter, there was an increase in the following categories: Agriculture, livestock, forestry, fishing, and aquaculture (6.2%, or an increase of R$ 129), Construction (5.4%, or an increase of R$ 143), Lodging and food services (5.7%, or an increase of R$ 126), Information, communication, and financial, real estate, professional, and administrative activities (5.2%, or an increase of R$ 251), Public administration, defense, social security, education, human health, and social services (3.5%, or an increase of R$ 164), and Domestic services (5.0%, or an increase of R$ 64). The other groups did not show significant change.

Adriana Beringuy observes that "maintaining a high number of workers, coupled with income stability, allows for record levels of the wage bill."

More about the survey

The Continuous National Household Sample Survey (Continuous PNAD) is the main instrument for monitoring the country's workforce. Its sample corresponds to 211,000 households, distributed across the 26 states and the Federal District, which are visited every quarter. Approximately two thousand interviewers work on data collection, integrated into a network of more than 500 IBGE agencies.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the IBGE implemented telephone data collection for the survey starting March 17, 2020. In July 2021, in-person data collection resumed.

It is possible to verify the interviewer's identity on the "Respondendo ao IBGE" website or via the Call Center (0800 721 8181), checking the interviewer's registration number, ID, or CPF (Brazilian taxpayer ID), data that can be requested by the respondent.

Consult the results of the Monthly Continuous National Household Sample Survey (PNAD Contínua) on Sidra. Their next report, for the quarter ending in November, will be released on December 30th.