This proportion remained stable in the week of September 20-26 in relation to the previous week (3.4%) and stood quite below the first week of the survey, May 3-9 (19.8%). The unemployed population (14.0 million persons) and the unemployment rate (14.4%) did not register a statistically significant change over the previous week (13.3 million and 13.7%, respectively). In the same period, the number of persons with any symptom of the flu-like syndrome fell from 9.1 million (or 4.3% of the population) to 8.3 million (or 3.9%). In the first week of the survey (May 3-9), this contingent comprised 26.8 million persons (12.7% of the population).

PNAD COVID19 estimated at 83.0 million the employed population in Brazil in the week of September 20-26, remaining stable in relation to the previous week (83.7 million persons) and to the week of May 3-9 (83.9 million persons).

Estimated at 77.9 million persons, the employed population not away from work remained stable in relation to the previous week (78.2 million), but it increased over the week of May 3-9 (63.9 million). Among these persons, 7.9 million (or 10.2% of the employed population not away from work) worked remotely. This contingent remained stable against the previous week (7.8 million or 10.0%). On the other hand, it remained stable in absolute figures (8.6 million) and dropped in percentage (13.4%) in relation to the week of May 3-9.

The employment-population ratio (48.7%) remained stable against the previous week (49.1%) and against the week of May 3-9 (49.4%).

The proxy of the informality rate (34.2%) remained stable in relation to the previous week (33.6%), though it retreated against the week of May 3-9 (35.7%).

Nearly 2.7 million (or 3.3% of the employed population) were away from work due to social distancing. This contingent remained stable against the previous week (2.8 million or 3.4%) and dropped against the week of May 3-9 (16.6 million or 19.8%).

The unemployed population (14.0 million persons) remained stable against the previous week (13.3 million persons) and increased in relation to the week of May 3-9 (9.8 million). As a result, the unemployment rate (14.4%) remained stable in relation to the previous week (13.7%) and increased against the first week of May (10.5%).

The workforce participation rate (56.9%) in the week of September 20-26 remained stable against the previous week (56.9%) and over the the first week of May (55.2%).

The population out of the workforce – that was neither working nor looking for a job – comprised 73.4 million persons, remaining stable over the previous week (73.6 million) and over the week of May 3-9 (76.2 million). In this population, nearly 25.6 million persons (or 34.8% of the population out of the workforce) stated that they would like to work. This contingent remained stable over the previous week (25.6 million or 34.7%) and dropped in relation to the week of May 3-9 (27.1 million or 35.5%).

Nearly 15.3 million persons out of the workforce who would like to work and did not look for a job did not do it because of the pandemic or for not finding a job in the locality where they lived. They corresponded to 20.8% of the persons out of the workforce. This contingent remained stable in relation to the previous week (15.4 million or 20.9%). Compared with the week of May 3-9 (19.1 million or 25.1%), both indicators dropped.

6.4 million students did not have school activities in the week

In the week of September 20-26, Brazil had nearly 46.1 million students who attended schools or universities. Of them, 13.9% (or 6.4 million) did not have any school activity in the fourth week of September. This contingent remained statistically stable in relation to the previous week (6.3 million or 13.7% of the students), but it dropped against the week of June 28-July 4 (9.0 million or 20.0% of the students).

Among the 39.2 million students who had school activities in the fourth week of September, 26.1 million (or 66.7%) had activities along five days of the week, remaining stable over the previous week (26.2 million or 66.3%).

Nearly 84.7 million persons stayed at home and only left in case of a basic need in the week of September 20-26, the equivalent to 40.0% of the population. This contingent remained stable over the previous week (84.4 million or 39.9% of the population). The parcel of the population that remained strictly isolated (14.9% or 31.6 million) dropped in relation to the previous week (16.0% or 33.8 million). On the other hand, the contingent of those who did not make any restriction (3.5% or 7.4 million) increased over the previous week (3.1% or 6.5 million). The number of those who reduced contact, but continued leaving home and/or receiving visits (86.7 million or 41.0%) remained stable against the previous week (85.7 million or 40.5%).

Number of persons with symptoms of flu-like syndrome falls

In the week of September 20-26, PNAD COVID19 estimated that 8.3 million persons (or 3.9% of the Brazilian population) showed at least one of the 12 symptoms  associated to the flu-like syndrome (fever, cough, sore throat, difficulty to breathe, headache, chest pain, nausea, stuffy or runny nose, fatigue, eye pain, loss of smell or taste, and muscle pain) investigated by the survey. This contingent dropped against the previous week (9.1 million persons or 4.3% of the population) and against the week of May 3-9 (26.8 million or 12.7%).

Nearly 2.0 million persons (or 23.8% of those who had any symptom) looked for care in health establishments (health centers, family health teams, UPAs, medical centers or SUS hospital or even private ambulatories/offices, medical centers or hospitals). This contingent remained stable against the previous week (2.2 million or 24.0%). Compared with the week of May 3-9 (3.7 million or 13.7%), it dropped in absolute figures and increased in percentage terms.

Nearly 504 thousand persons looked for care in public, private or military hospitals in the week of September 20-26. This contingent remained stable over the previous week (594 thousand), yet it dropped against the week of May 3-9 (1.1 million).

Among those who looked for care in hospitals, 81 thousand (9.9%) were hospitalized. This contingent remained stable over the previous week (74 thousand or 9.6%) and over the week of May 3-9 (97 thousand or 9.1%).