The unemployment rate (7.9%) of the quarter ended March 2024 increased by 0.5 percentage points (p.p.) from the quarter October-December 2023 (7.4%) and dropped by 0.9 p.p. against the same period in 2023 (8.8%).

The unemployed population (8.6 million persons) grew by 6.7% (542 thousand persons) in the quarter decreased by 8.6% (808 thousand persons) in the year.

The employed population (100.2 million persons) decreased by 0.8% (782 thousand persons) and increased by 2.4% (2.4 million persons) in the year. The employment population ratio (percentage of employed persons in the working age population) reached 57.0%, having dropped by 0.06 p.p. against the previous quarter (57.6%) and increased by 0.9 p.p. in the annual comparison (56.1%).

The compound underutilization rate (17.9%) increased by 0.6 p.p. from the ended December (17.3%) and decreased by 1.0 p.p. from the quarter ended March 2023 (18.9%). The underemployed population (20.7 million persons) increased by 3.9% in the quarter (by 770 thousand persons) and dropped by 4.0% (870 thousand persons).

The time-related underemployed population (5.2 million) dropped by 5.2% in the quarter and (281 thousand persons) and stood stable in the annual comparison. The population outside the labor force (66.9 million persons) increased by 0.9% against the previous quarter and was stable in the year.

The discouraged population (3.6 million) did not change significantly against the previous moving quarter and fell by 7.1% (275 thousand persons) in the year. The percentage of discouraged workers in the workforce or discouraged population (3.2%) did not change significantly in the quarter and decreased by 0.3 p.p. in the year.

The number of employed persons with a formal contract in the private sector (except domestic workers) reached 37.984 million, and stood stable in the quarter, having increased by 3.5% (1.3 thousand persons) in the year. The number of employed persons without a formal contract in the private sector (13.4 million) stood stable in the quarter and increased by 4.5% (581 thousand) in the year.

The number of self-employed workers (25.4 million persons) also remained stable in both comparisons, as well as the number of employers (4.1 million persons). The number of domestic workers (5.9 million persons) dropped by 2.3% (141 thousand persons) in the quarter and increased by 3.5% (198 thousand persons) in the year.

The number of workers in the public sector (12.0 million) dropped by 1.5% (184 thousand persons) in the quarter and was stable in the year.

Theemployment informality rate was 38.9% of the employed population (or 38.9 million informal workers) against 39.1% in the previous quarter and 39.0% in the same moving quarter of 2023.

Usual real earnings from all jobs (R$3,123) grew by 1.5% in the quarter and by 4.0% in the year.

Real wagebill (R$ 308.3 billion) reached a new record in the time series that started in 2012, but did not change statistically in the quarterly comparison, having risen by 6.6% (R$ 19.2 billion) in the annual comparison.

Unemployment rate - Brazil - 2012/2024

Workforce (employed and unemployed persons), in the quarter January-March 2024, was estimated at 108.8 million persons. This population was stable against the quarter October-December 2023 and increased by 1.5% (1.6 million persons) versus the same quarter in 2023.

The analysis of the number of employed persons, by groups of activity, in the moving quarter January-March 2024, against October-December 2023, showed that there was no increase in any group. The following groups recorded decreases: Public administration, defense, social security, education, human health and social services (-1.8% or 320 thousand persons and Domestic services (-2.3% or 141 thousand persons).

Against the same moving quarter in 2023, the following groups increased: Construction (3.0%, or 214 thousand persons), Transportation, storage and mailing (6.0%, or 322 thousand persons), ), Information, Communication and Financial, Real Estate, Professional and Administrative Activities (5.5%, or 661 thousand persons), Public administration, defense, social security, education, human health and social services (3.2%, or 550 thousand persons), Other services (4.6%, or 238 thousand persons) and Domestic services (3.5%, or 288 thousand persons).

Compound underutilization rate – Quarters: January-March – Brazil – 2013 to 2024 (%)

The analysis of average usual real earnings from the main job by groups of activity, in the moving quarter January-March 2024, in relation to the quarter October-December 2023, shows increase in the following categories: Transportation, storage and mailing (4.3%, or R$ 122), Other services (6.7%, or R$ 158) and Domestic services (2.1%, or R$ 25). The remaining groups did not record significant changes.

The following categories increased in the comparison with the quarter January - March 2023: Industry (7.5%, or R$215); Trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (3.9%, or R$ 96); Transportation, storage and mailing (7.1%, or R$198); Public administration, defense, social security, education, human health and social services (3.6%, or R$152 more). The other groups did not record significant changes.

The analysis of the average real earnings usually received from the main job, by position in the occupation, of the moving quarter January-March 2024, against the quarter October-December 2023, shows increase in the following categories: Domestic workers (2.1%, or R$ 25) and Workers in the public sector (including civil servants and the military) (2.5%, or R$ 1116). The other categories did not record significant changes.

The following categories increased, against the January-March 2024: Workers a formal contract (2.7% or R$77), Workers without a formal contract (5.9% or R$121 more), Workers in the public sector (including statutory officials and the military) (5.0% or R$225 more) and Self-employed workers (6.1% or R$146 more).