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Continuous PNAD: unemployment rate is 7.9% and labor underutilization rate, 18.5%, in quarter ended December

February 28, 2023 09h00 AM | Last Updated: March 01, 2023 04h08 PM

The unemployment rate (7.9%) in the moving quarter Oct-Dec 2022 fell by 0.8 percentage points against the quarter Jul-Sep 2022 (8.7%) and by 3.2 pp against the same quarter in 2021 (11.1%).

Indicator/Period Oct-Nov-Dec 2022 Jul-Aug-Sept 2022 Oct-Nov-Dec 2021
Unemployment rate
7.9% 8.7% 11.1%
Labor underutilization
18.5% 20.1% 24.3%
Usual real earnings
R$ 2,808.00 R$ 2,757.00 R$ 2,594.00
Change of usual real earnings in relation to: 1.9% 8.3%

The unemployed population (8.6 million persons) decreased by 9.4% (888 thousand less persons) compared to the quarter ended in September and fell 28.6% (3.4 million less persons) against the same moving quarter in 2021.

The employed population (99.4 million persons) remained stable against the previous moving quarter and rose 3.8% (3.6 million less persons) against the same quarter in 2021.

The employment-population ratio - percentage of employed persons in the population at working age - was 57.2%, the same result as that of the previous quarter (57.2%) and rose 1.6 pp in the year (55.6%).

The composite underutilization rate (18.5%) fell 1.6 pp in relation to quarter of July to September 2022 (20.1%) and 5.8 pp compared with the same quarter of 2021 (24.3%).

The underutilized population (21.3 million persons) fell by 9.1% (2.1 million less persons) against the previous quarter (23.4 million persons) and fell 24.8% (7.0 million less persons) in comparison with the same quarter in 2021 (28.3 million underutilized workers).

The time-related underemployed population (5.4 million) fell by 12.4% against the previous quarter (a decrease of 765 thousand persons) and shrank 26.3% in the annual comparison (7.4 million persons).

The population outside the labor force (65.9 million persons) increased 1.8% (1.2 million more persons) compared to the previous quarter and rose 2.1% in the year (1.4 million more persons).

The discouraged population (4 million persons) fell by 6.2% (262 thousand less persons) against the previous quarter and decreased by 16.6% (793 thousand less persons) against the same period in 2021.

The percentage of discouraged persons in the labor force (3.6%) declined in relation to the previous quarter (0.2 pp) and also from the same quarter in 2021 (0.7 pp).

The number of persons employed with a formal contract in the private sector (excluding domestic workers) reached 36.9 million persons, an increase of 1.6% (593 thousand more persons) against the previous quarter and of 6.9% (2.4 million more persons) over 2021.

The number of persons employed without a formal contract in the private sector (13.2 million) remained stable against the previous quarter and grew 6.4% (792 thousand less persons) over 2021.

The number of self-employed workers (25.5 million) also remained stable in the monthly comparison and fell 1.8% (475 less persons) in the year.

The number of domestic workers (5.8 million) remained stable in both comparisons.

The informality rate was 38.8% of the employed population, or 38.6 million informal workers. In the quarter Jul-Sep, the rate had been 39.4% and, in the same quarter of 2021, 40.7%.

Usual real earnings (R$ 2,808) increased by 1.9% against the previous quarter and rose by 8.3% in relation to the same quarter in 2021.

The usual real wage bill (R$266.7 billion) grew 4.8% over the previous quarter and 9.9% in the annual comparison.

Unemployment Rate - Brazil - 2012/2022

In the moving quarter from October to December 2022, the labor force (employed and unemployed persons) reached 107.9 million persons, a reduction of 0.7% (-787 thousand persons), when compared to the quarter from July to September 2022. It remained stable against the same quarter last year.

Composite underutilization rate - Quarters December to February - Brazil - 2012 to 2022 (%)


In the usual real average earnings of the activity groups, against the previous quarter, there was increase in the categories. Construction (6.8%, or R$ 145 more), Transportation, storage and mailing (3.9%, or R$ 101 more), Lodging and feeding (6.4%, or R$ 110 more) and Public administration, defense, social security, education, human health and social services (2.8%, or R$ 109 more) and Domestic services (2.2% or R$ 23 more). The other groups did not record significant changes.

In the annual comparison, there was increase in: Agriculture, livestock, forestry, fishery and aquaculture (13.8% or R$ 220 more) (6.2%, or R$ 156 more), Construction (13.4%, or R$ 269 more), Trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (7.2%, or R$ 152 more), Transportation, storage and mail (8.7%, or R$ 218 more), Accommodation and food (9.6%, or R$ 160 more), Information, Communication and Financial, Real Estate, Professional and Administrative Activities (9.7% or R$ 358 more), Public administration, defense, social security, education, human health and social services (4.2% or R$ 158 more), Other services (9.6%, R$ 188 or more) and Domestic services (6.5%, or R$ 66 more).

In the quarterly comparison, the employment types with increase were: Domestic workers (2.2% or R$46 more) and Self-employed workers (6.0% or R$131 more). The other categories did not record significant changes.  Conversely, in the annual comparison, highs were recorded in: Workers with a formal contract (6.1%, or R$ 152 more), Workers without a formal contract (12.6%, or R$ 207 more), Domestic workers (6.5%, or R$ 66 more), Employers (8.5%, or R$ 525 more) and Self-employed workers (12.3%, or R$ 251 more).

Employed population by activity groups

Compared to the previous moving quarter, there was no growth in any groups. The only reduction was in the group of Agriculture, livestock, forestry, fishery and aquaculture (2.7% or 235 thousand less persons).

Compared with the same moving quarter of 2021, the following groups increased: General Industry (3.4%, or 416 thousand more persons), Trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (4.0%, 742 thousand more persons), Transportation, storage and mail (10.0%, or 486 thousand more persons), Information, Communication and Financial, Real Estate, Professional and Administrative Activities (4.4%, or 498 thousand more persons), Public administration, defense, social security, education, human health and social services (7.3%, 1.2 million more persons) and Other services (9.9%, or 488 thousand more persons).

The only decrease was in the group of Agriculture, livestock, forestry, fishery and aquaculture (-4.4% or 393 thousand less persons).


Keywords: PNAD C MENSAL, Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios Contínua - Divulgação Mensal