The unemployment rate in the third quarter of 2022 in Brazil was 8.7%, retreating 0.6 percentage points (pp) against the second quarter of 2022 (9.3%) and falling 3.9 pp against the same quarter of 2021 (12.6%).

In relation to the previous quarter, the unemployment rate fell in three of the 27 Federation Units (FUs): São Paulo (7.8% to 7.1%), Maranhão (8.8% to 6.7%) and Acre (9.3% to 6.2%). Just Roraima had growth (from 5.1% to 7.6%).
In the other 23 FUs, the rates were stable.

The highest unemployment rates were those Bahia (13,3%), Pernambuco (13.2%) and Amapá (12.6%), and the lowest were Rondônia (2.3%), Mato Grosso (2.4%) and Santa Catarina (3.6%).

The unemployment rate by sex was 6.4% for men and 9.3% for women in the third quarter of 2023. The unemployment rate by color or race stood below the national average (7.7%) for white persons (5.9%) and above that for black (9.6%) and brown (8.9%) ones.

The unemployment rate for persons with incomplete secondary education (13.5%) exceeded the rates of other levels of schooling.  Among persons with incomplete higher education, the rate was 8.3%, more than twice as that of persons with a higher education degree (3.5%).

In the third quarter of 2023, the compound underutilization rate of the workforce (percentage of unemployed persons, time-related underemployed persons and in the potential workforce in relation to the extended workforce) was 17.6%. Piauí (38.4%) recorded the highest rate, followed by Bahia (32.8%) and Sergipe (31.8%). The lowest underutilization rates were those of Rondônia (5.3%), Santa Catarina (6.1%) and Mato Grosso (8.4%).

The percentage of persons employed with a formal contract in the private sector was 73.8%.  The highest percentages were in Santa Catarina (87.8%), Rio Grande do Sul (82.7%) and Paraná (80.9%) and the lowest ones, in Maranhão (49.9%), Piauí (52.3%) and Tocantins (52.7%).

The percentage of self-employed workers was 25.5%.  Rondônia (34.0%), Maranhão (31.8%) and Pernambuco (31.0%) accounted for the highest percentages and the Federal District (19.0%), Mato Grosso do Sul (20.5%) and Tocantins (22.3%), for the lowest.

The informality rate for Brazil was 39.1% of the employed population.  The highest rates were recorded by Maranhão (57.3%), Pará (57.1%) and Amazonas (55.0%) and the lowest, by Santa Catarina (26.8%), Federal District (30.6%) and São Paulo (31.3%).

In he third quarter of 2023, 1.8 million unemployed persons had been looking for a job for two or more years.  This number reached its lowest level for a third quarter since 2015 (when 1.6 million persons sought for a job for two or more years) and fell 28.2% over the third quarter of 2022, when there were 2.6 million persons in this range. From the second quarter in 2012 (first year of the time series), the total of persons searching for work for two or more years increased by 26.8%.

The  average usual real earnings (R$ 2.982) grew both against the previous quarter (R$ 2933) and in relation to the same quarter a year ago (R$ 2862). Compared to the previous quarter, there were highs in the South  (R$ 3.276) and in the Southeast (R$ 3.381), whereas the earnings in the others remained stable. In relation to the third quarter of 2022, the earnings grew in the North, Southeast and Central-West, while in the others there was statistical stability.

Unemployment rate falls in three FUs and increases in one

Against the second quarter of this year, the unemployment rate fell in three Federation Units (FUs) São Paulo (7.8% to 7.1%), Maranhão (8.8% to 6.7%) and Acre (9.3% to 6.2%). Roraima was the only FU where there was growth, from 5.1% to 7.6%. The other Federation Units were stable.

Unemployment rate, by Federation Unit, against the previous quarter (%) - Q3 2023

Piauí records the highest underutilization rate (38.4%) and Rondônia, the lowest (5.3%)

In Q3 2023, the compound underutilization rate of workforce in the country reached 17.6%.  Piauí (38.4%) recorded the highest rate, followed by Bahia (32.8%) and Sergipe (31.8%). The lowest rates were those of Rondônia (5.3%), Santa Catarina (6.1%) and Mato Grosso (8.4%).

Compound underutilization rate of workforce by FU (%) - Q3 2023

Rondônia has the highest proportion of self-employed workers (34.0%) and the Federal District, the lowest (19.0%)

The percentage of the self-employed population in the country was 25.5%. 
The highest percentages were of Rondônia (34.0%), Maranhão (31.8%) and Pernambuco (31.0%). The lowest ones were in the Federal District (19.0%), Mato Grosso do Sul (20.5%) and Tocantins (22.3%).

Percentage of self-employed persons, by Federation Unit (%) - Q3 2023

Lowest percentage of workers with a formal contract is found in MA (49.9%) and the highest, in SC (87.8%)

In Q3 2023, 73.8% of the workers in the private sector in Brazil had a formal employment contract.  The North (60.1%) and the Northeast (58.4%) registered levels below those in other Major Regions.  Among domestic workers in the country, 24.7% had a formal contract.  In the same quarter last year, this proportion had been 25.3%.

Among the Federation Units, the highest percentage of workers with a formal employment contract in the private sector were in Santa Catarina (87.8%), Rio Grande do Sul (82.7%) and Paraná (80.9%) and the lowest, in Maranhão (49.9%), Piauí (52.3%) and Tocantins (52.7%).

Percentage of employed persons WITH  a formal contract in the private sector, by FUs (%) - Q3 2023

Earnings increased only in the South and Southeast, against previous quarter

The average usual real earning was estimated at R$ 2,982 an increase both in relation to the previous quarter (R$ 2,933) and to the same quarter a year ago (R$ 2,862).  In the comparison with the previous quarter, the South (R$ 3,276) and Southeast (R$ 3,381) had expansion, whereas the other Major Regions remained stable. In relation to the third quarter of 2022. The North, Southeast and Central-West presented increase, whereas the others were stable.

The real wage bill from all the activities usually earned per month by persons aged 14 and over, employed in the week of reference, was estimated at R$ 292,952 million, a rise both in relation to the previous quarter (R$ 285,243 million) and in relation to the third quarter of 2022 (R$ 278.942 million).

Pará has the highest informality rate (57.3%) and SC, the lowest (26.8%)

The informality rate for Brazil was 39.1% of the employed population.  The highest rates were recorded by Maranhão (57.3%), Pará (57.1%) and Amazonas (55.0%) and the lowest, by Santa Catarina (26.8%), Federal District (30.6%) and São Paulo (31.3%).

For the calculation of the informality rate of the employed population, the following groups are considered:  Workers in the private sector without a formal employment contract; Domestic worker without a formal employment contract; Employer without a CNPJ number; Self-employed worker without a CNPJ number; and Contributing family worker. 

Unemployment retreats in the ranges with longer periods of job seeking in the annual comparison

In the third quarter of 2023, the figures relative to ranges of job seeking periods recorded decreases from 2022 to 2023, as shown in the table below. Just the range of job seekers for less than one month presented increase: 3.2% (51 thousand more persons)

In the third quarter of 2023, 1.8 million unemployed persons had been looking for a job for two years and more.  This figure dropped by 28.2% against the second quarter of 2022, when there were 2.6 million persons in this range.  Nevertheless, against the first year of the time series, in the third quarter of 2012, the total number of persons searching for work for two years or more increased by 26.8%.