The unemployment rate, in Brazil was estimated at 7.9% in Q1 2015, the highest result recorded since the first semester of 2013 (8.0%). This estimate has increased in comparison with those of Q4 2014 (6.5%) and Q1 2014 (7.2%). For the first time, Continuous PNAD brings complete information on the labor market for Brazil, its Major Regions and Federation Units. The Northeast Region had the highest rate (9.6%), and The South Region, the lowest (5.1%). Among the Federation Units, Rio Grande do Sul had the highest rate (11.5%) and Santa Catarina, the lowest (3.9%).

The unemployed population (7.934 million persons) changed by 23.0% versus results of the previous quarter. In relation to Q1 2014, the figure was 12.6%.

The employment-population ratio (the indicator which measures the employed population in relation to the working age population) was estimated at 56.2% in the first quarter of 2015, below the 56.9% recorded in the previous quarter and of the 56.8% recorded in the first semester last year. The employed population was estimated at 92.023 million, reflecting change of -0.9% in comparison with the previous quarter and of 0.8% versus the figure in the same quarter in 2014. In Q1 2015, 78.2% of the workers in the private sector had a formal employment contract , which means an increase of 0.5 percentage points in relation to the same quarter in 2014 (77.7%). In relation to the previous quarter, there was no statistically-significant change.

The average usual real wage bill of employed persons was estimated at R$ 1,840. This figure is 0.8% bigger than that recorded in the previous quarter (R$ 1,825) and stable in relation to that obtained in Q1 2014 (R$ 1,840). The usual average real earnings of employed persons amounted to R$ 163.8 billion, with increase of 3.0% versus that of Q4 2014. In the annual comparison, this estimate increased by 8.7%.

The complete publication wit data released today is available at
https://www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/indicadores/trabalhoerendimento/pnad_continua/.

Unemployment rate in Brazil changes from 6.5% in Q4 2014 to 7.9% in Q1 2015

The unemployment rate in Brazil was estimated at 7.9% in Q1 2015. This figure represents an increase of 1.4 percentage points versus the result of last semester (6.5%). In comparison with the 1st quarter of 2014 (7.2%), the rate increased 0.8 percentage points.

In Q1 2015, the Northeast Region had the highest unemployment rate (9.6%), and the South Region, the lowest (5.1%). In the Central West, from the 1st quarter of 2014 to the first quarter of 2015, there was increase of 1.5 percentage points in the unemployment rate, and in the North and Southeast Regions, by of 1.0 percentage points.