On the International Day Against Child Labor, June 12, IBGE releases results of the 2010 Census: 3.4 million children and teenagers aged 10 to 17 years were working when the survey took place, about 530 thousand persons less than in 2000. The complete study is available at http://www.censo2010.ibge.gov.br/trabalhoinfantil.    

In the group aged 10 to 15, working children amounted to 1.6 million  

In 2000, there were 3.4 million working children and teenagers aged 10 to 17, what represented 3.9% of the 86.4 million employed persons aged 10 years and over.  The employed population aged 10 to 15 made up 1.9% of the workers, that is, 1.6 million persons. In the group aged 16 or 17 they represented 2.1% of the total (1.8 million persons). In this case, work is permitted, provided that it does not do harm in terms of health, safety or moral aspects.  Teenagers aged 14 or 15 are only allowed to work as apprentices.  In 2000, children and teenagers aged 10 to 17 represented 6.0% of the 65.6 million employed persons aged 10 years and over.  

61% of the working children and teenagers were of the male sex

From 2000 to 2010, the number of employed persons aged 10 to 15 changed from 1,791 million, in 2000, to 1,599 million, in 2010, representing decrease a 10.8% decrease (198 thousand persons). Among teenagers aged 16 or 17, there was reduction by 336 thousand persons, with a change from 2.144 million to 1.807 million in the same period (15.7%).  The reduction of the number of children and teenagers aged 10 to 17, from 2000 to 2010, was bigger in the rural than in the urban area.  In the rural area there was change from 1.395 million in 2000 to 1,056 million in 2010, that is, reduction by 339 thousand persons in 2010. In the urban area, there was change from 2.541 million to 2.351 million, that is, of 190 thousand persons in the same period.

The number of male working employed children and teenagers (2.065 million) remained above that of female ones (1,342 million) in 2010. In the age group of 10 -15 years of age, boys made up 60.3% (964 thousand), whereas those aged 16 or 17 represented 60.9% (1.101 million).  In 2000, the difference was even bigger, with the former group representing 66.9% (1.199 million men for 593 thousand women) and the latter, 64.0% (1.371 million men for 773 thousand women).