The annual unemployment rate was 6.6% in 2024, the lowest index in the time series started in 2012. That result represented a retreat of 1.2 percentage points (p.p.) over the 2023 average (7.8%). Compared with 2019 (11.8%), the retreat was of 5.2 p.p. Compared with 2012, when the average rate was 7.4%, the retreat was of 0.8 p.p.
The unemployed population in the year added up to 7.4 million persons in 2024, dropping 1.1 million (-13.2%) over 2023.
The employed population reached 103.3 million persons in 2024, hitting a record in the time series started in 2012 and standing 2.6% above that in 2023. It increased 15.2% over the 2012 average (89.7 million persons).
The employment-population ratio - percentage of employed persons in the population at working age - was estimated at 58.6% in 2024, 1.0 p.p. more than in 2023 (57.6%). It was the highest employment- population ratio in the time series, which had been previously registered in 2013 (58.3%).
The annual estimate of the composite underutilization rate was estimated at 16.2%, a drop of 1.8 p.p. in relation to 2023, when the rate had been estimated at 18.0%. That indicator had been 24.4% in 2019, 15.9% in 2014 and 18.7% in 2012.
The annual estimate of the underutilized population (19.0 million persons in 2024) retreated 8.9% over 2023. Despite the reduction, that contingent was 15.4% above the lowest level in the time series, hit in 2014 (16.5 million persons).
Estimated at 5.1 million persons, the contingent of time-related underemployed persons retreated 6.0% over the previous year.
In 2024, the annual estimate of the discouraged population decreased 11.2% over 2023, reaching 3.3 million persons. The highest estimate for that population had occurred in 2021 (5.6 million) and the lowest one, in 2014 (1.6 million discouraged persons).
The number of persons employed with a formal contract increased 2.7% and hit 38.7 million persons, the highest average in the time series started in 2012.
The annual estimate of persons employed without a formal contract in the private sector increased 6.0% in 2024 and reached 14.2 million persons. The increase was 31.1% in relation to 2014, when the estimate had been 10.8 million persons.
The number of self-employed workers added up to 26.0 million in 2024, a rise of 1.9% in the year. It rose 29.5% compared with the beginning of the time series in 2012, when that contingent had been the lowest one in the time series (20.1 million).
In 2024, the number of domestic workers fell 1.5%, reaching 6.0 million persons.
The annual informality rate changed from 39.2% in 2023 to 39.0% in 2024.
The annual value of the usual real earnings was estimated at R$3,225, an increase of 3.7% (or R$115) compared with 2023. It increased 10.1% over 2012.
The annual value of the usual real wage bill reached R$328.6 billion, the highest one in the time series, with a rise of 6.5% (more R$20.1 billion) in relation to 2023. The wage bill grew 29.4% between 2012 and 2024.

Unemployment rate - Brazil (%)

Annual estimate of the employed population by group of activity in 2024
Among the activities, Transportation, storage and mailing recorded the highest percentage increase in the employed population in relation to 2023 (7.8%) and registered 5.9 million workers in 2024. In relation to 2012, when that group reached 4.3 million persons, the increase was 39.5% (more 1.7 million persons).
As the group with the highest number of employed persons in absolute numbers (19.8 million), Trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles recorded the biggest increase compared with the previous year, employing more than 733 thousand persons in 2024, a growth of 3.9%. It increased 15.6% in relation to the beginning of the time series, when that activity employed 17.1 million persons.
As the second group with the biggest contingent in 2024 (18.5 million), Public administration, defense, social security, education, human health and social services registered an increase of 2.9% of employed persons in relation to 2023. It grew 30.8% against 2012, when it had employed 14.1 million persons.
Construction employed more 5.5% persons in 2024 (7.8 million), which represented more 406 thousand workers than that recorded in 2023 (7.4 million). In the time series, it was the third year with more persons employed in that sector, only behind 2023 (8.1 million) and 2014 (7.9 million).
The overall industry also increased between 2023 and 2024 (2.6%), reaching 13.2 million employed persons. That figure was 1.6% above the level in 2012 (13 million) and 1.8% below that of 2014, when it hit the biggest contingent in the time series (13.5 million persons).
On the other hand, Agriculture, livestock, forestry, fishery and aquaculture reported the biggest drop of employed persons in 2024 (7.9 million) over 2023 (8.1 million), a reduction of 258 thousand workers (-3.2%). It dropped 22.8% in relation to the beginning of the time series, when it had employed 10.2 million persons.
Another drop in employment in 2024 was noticed in Domestic services, which employed 6.0 million persons in 2024, a drop of 1.4% in relation to 2023, when it had employed 6.1 million persons. That group remained at a level close to that reached in 2012, with a drop of 77 thousand employed persons.