In June, about 29.4 million housing units received some aid related to the pandemic (such as the Emergency Aid and the Emergency Benefit for Employment and Income Maintenance), corresponding to 43% of the total housing units (68.3 million) in the country. In May, they had amounted to 26.3 million, and reached about 38.7% of the total. The average benefit paid was R$ 881 per housing unit. In the North and Northeast, respectively, 60.0% and 58.9% received that type of aid.

Among the 83.4 million housing units in the country, about 14.8 million were temporarily away from work and, among those, 7.1 without compensation, which is equivalent to 48.4% of the workers in this condition. In May, this percentage reached 51.3%, that is, 9.7 million persons. in the Northeast, 51.8% of the persons who were not working had no compensation.

The percentage of persons away from work due to the pandemic fell from 18.6% to 14.2% of the employed persons in June, amounting to 11.8 million persons. The Northeast had the biggest percentage of persons away from work due to social isolation measures (20.2%), followed by the North, (17.1%), whereas the South was the least affected Major Region (7.8%). In all the Major Regions, the proportion of persons not working due to that reason recorded a decrease. 

In June, 27.3% of the employed population (or 18.7 million persons) worked less than their usual working hours, whereas about 2.6 million persons worked longer hours. The average number of hours worked per week (29.5h) in the country was below the usual average (39.8h).

A similar effect was observed in the real earnings of workers (R$ 1.,944), which was 16.6% below the usual earnings (R$ 2,332). In May, that ratio was of 18.5%.

The unemployment rate in June was of 12.4%, and recorded an increase of 1.7 percentage points against the May figure (10.7%). The rate increased in all the Major Regions from May to June, with a change from 11.2% to 13.2% in the Northeast, from 10.9% to 12.9% in the Southeast, from 11.4% to 2,.% in the Central West, from 11.0% to 12.3% in the North and from 8.9% to 10.0% in the South. 

In June, about 15.5 million persons (or 7.3% of the population) had flu-like symptoms. In May, they amounted to 11.4% of the population (24 million). In terms of the summary indicator, 2.4 million persons (or 1.1% of the population) had some overlapped symptoms that could indicate infection by Covid-19 (loss of taste or smell or fever, cough and difficulty to breathe, and pain in the chest), against 4.2 million in May (2.0% of the population).

The data comes from the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD COVID19) and is part of the IBGE's Experimental Statistics. The tables and the survey presentation are available on the right of the page. For additional information on the IBGE actions to combat the pandemic, visit the hotsite covid19.ibge.gov.br.

43% of the housing units received some type of monetary aid due to the pandemic

In June, about 29.4 million households received emergency aid, corresponding to 43% of the total housing units (68.3 million) in Brazil. In May, those were 26.3 million housing units, or 37.7%.

The average benefit paid was R$ 881 per housing unit. The percentage of housing units receiving the aid increased in all the Major Regions, with highest figures in the North and Northeast, 60.0% and 58.9%, respectively.

Percentage of housing units receiving some type of aid due to the pandemic and average amount received – Brazil and Major Regions – May and June 2020

About 80% of the households in the first two deciles of income (up to R$ 242.15) and about three fourths of the households of the third decile (up to R$ 354 18) were granted the emergency aid. Around 74.2% of the households receiving the aid had per capita earnings of up to R$ 665.11.

Approximately 104.5 million persons were living in households where at least one resident received the aid. That is 49.5% of the e decilemployment population in the country. In the first decile of per capita household earnings (up to R$ 50.34), 83.5% of the persons were living in households that received the benefit (versus 76% in May); in the second decile (up to R$242.15) that percentage reached 86.1% (versus 81.1% in May). The emergency aid had relevant effects on per capita household earnings as well , especially in the first two ranges.

Percentage of persons living in households receiving emergency aid,  by deciles of per capita monthly household earnings – June 2020

The survey also shows the increase of per capita household earnings after receipt of the emergency aid is relevant in all the Major Regions, with an increase in relevance against May.

Per Capita Household Earnings Before and After Receipt of the Emergency Aid by Deciles of Per Capita Household Earnings

Programs of direct income transfers reached 46.6% of the households 

Programs of direct income transfers reached 46.6% of the Brazilian households (versus 42,7% in May). In 31.8 million households one of the residents benefited from one of the following: Emergency Aid, Unemployment Aid, Continuous Cash Benefit or Bolsa Familia Program.

Northeast and Southeast record highest unemployment rates

In June, PNAD COVID19 estimated that Brazil's population at working age, that is, those aged 14 and over, amounted to 170.1 million. Those in the workforce were 95.2 million, with 83.4 million employed and 11.8 million unemployed. The population out of the workforce amounted to 74.9 million persons.

Against May, the number of persons in the workforce fell 0.6%. Total employed persons decreased 1.1% total unemployed persons decreased by 16.6%. In all the Major Regions, the unemployed population got bigger, with major changes recorded in the Southeast (18.8%) and the Northeast (18.6%), and lower changes in the Central West (9.1%).

The unemployment rate was 12.4% in June, 1.7 percentage points above the May figure (10.7%). The rate increased in all the Major Regions from May to June, changing from 11.2% to 13.2% in the Northeast; from 10.9% to 12.9% in the Southeast; from 11.4% to
12.4% in the Central West; from 11.0% to 12.3% in the North; and from 8.9% to 10.0% in the South Region.

Percentage of persons temporarily away from work due to the pandemic falls from 18.6% to 14.2%

Among the 83.4 million workers in the country, 14.8 million were temporarily away from work in the week of reference and 11.8 million were due to social distancing. These figures represent decreases of 22.2% and 24.9% against the total number of persons temporarily  away in May. These reduced figures can also be observed considering  the decrease in the proportion of persons away due to those reasons in the total employed persons, which fell from 18.6% to 14.2% between May and June.

Persons employed and persons temporarily away from work in the week of reference – Brazil and Major Regions - May - June 2020

The Northeast Region had the biggest percentage of persons away from work due to social distancing (20.2%), followed by the North (17.1%), whereas the South was the least affected Major Region (7.8%). In all of them, the proportion of persons away due to social distancing fell from May to June. 

The age group with the biggest proportion of persons temporarily away from work was that aged 60 and over, but there was a decrease from May to June, from 27.3% to 23.0%. All the Major Regions registered higher percentages of older persons away from work and also decreases in those percentages.

More than 7 million workers received no compensation due to the pandemic

Among the 14.8 million persons who were temporarily away from work in the week of reference, approximately 7.1 million had been receiving no compensation. That amount represents 48.4% of the total. In May, the figure was 51.3%. The percentage of persons in such conditions fell in all the Major Regions. The North and Northeast showed the biggest percentages of persons away from work and without compensation: 51.8% and 49.4% of those in all the Major Regions, respectively.

Employed persons and persons temporarily away from work in the week of reference – Brazil and Major Regions – May and June 2020

Domestic workers without a formal employment contract record highest rates of increase due to the pandemic

Among the categories investigated by PNAD COVID19, in June, the biggest percentages of persons away from work due to the pandemic were domestic workers without a formal contract (26.8%), workers in the public sector without a formal contract (i24.4%) and workers in the private sector without a formal contract (17.3%). Against May, the proportion of persons away in all the categories of employment type decreased.

In terms of groups of activity, those of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry, Fishing and Aquaculture recorded the lowest percentage of persons away from work (5.2%), whereas Other services (30.8%), Lodging and feeding (23.1%) and Domestic services (22.9%) had the biggest proportion of persons away from work. In May, domestic services had the second biggest percentage, with a decrease to the third position in June. All the groups recorded decreases.

Higher education prevails among remote workers

About 82.3% of the total employed persons (or 68.7 million) were not away from work in June, against 77.5% in May. Among the ones who were working, 8.7 million were doing that remotely - in home office -, being equivalent to 12.7% of the employed population that were not away.

The percentage of women in remote work (17.5%) surpassed that of men (9.4%). Among the persons with an undergraduate or a graduate degree, 37.3% were in home office. The percentages were very low among those without schooling or with incomplete elementary school (0.4%), as well as complete elementary education or incomplete high school (1.4%). For those with complete high school or incomplete higher education, the percentage was 7.3%.

Average number of hours worked per week was below the usual figure

In Brazil and in all the Major Regions, the number of hours worked by persons employed and not away from work recorded a decrease. The average number of usual hours was 39.8 hours per week, versus 29.5 hours worked per week. The major disparity between the usual and the real hours was found in the Northeast (12.7 hours of difference). 

In Brazil, in June, 18.7 million persons employed and not temporarily away from work (or 27.3%) worked fewer hours than the usual ones.

On the other hand, about 2.6 million employed persons worked above the average of usual hours, which corresponds to 3.7% of the employed persons not away from work. In the Major Regions, that percentage ranged from 3.0% in the South and 4.2% in the Southeast.

Real earnings of workers is 16.6% below the usual average

The usual earnings from all the activities was, on average, at R$ 2,332 for Brazil, and the real earnings represented R$1,944, that is, the real figure was 83.4% of the usually earned. In May, that proportion was of 81.5%. The Northeast and Southeast registered the biggest differences, respectively: 81.6% and 82.4% between the real and the usual income.

Average usual real earnings from all the activities of persons employd with income from work (R$) – Brazil and Major Regions – May and June 2020

June, there were 74.9 million persons out of the workforce in Brazil (-0.6% in relation to May). Among those, 35.7% (26.7 million) would like to work, but did not search for work and 23.8% (17.8 million) did not search for work due to the pandemic or to lack of positions in the locality, but would like to work.

From May to June, there was an increase of the percentage of persons out of the workforce who would like to work although they had not looked for a job, but a decrease of the percentage of those reporting as the main reason the pandemic or lack of positions in the locality.

In May, 70.2% of the persons who did not work, although they wanted to, said that the main reason was the pandemic or lack of positions in the locality, In June, that proportion fell to 66.7%, a scenario observed in all the Major Regions.

As we add the population out of the workforce, who would like to work but did not look for a job (26.7 million), tot he unemployed population (11.8 million), the result is total 38.5 million persons exerting pressure on the labor market or who would be if they had searched for work. When the reason for not looking for a job was related to the pandemic or to the lack of positions in the locality (17.8 million), the total added to the unemployed population was 29.6 million persons.

Total persons aged 14 and over out of the workforce who would like to work, but did not search for work, and persons out of the workforce who would like to work, but did not search for work due to the pandemic or lack of positions in the locality, in the week of reference – Brazil and Major Regions (%) – May and June 2020

2.4 million persons had overlapped symptoms of the flu and Covid-19

In the housing units visited by PNAD COVID19 in May, all the residents were asked if, in the week prior to the survey, any of them had: a fever, cough, a sore throat, difficulty to breath, a headache, pain in the chest, nausea, a stuffy or runny nose, fatigue, pain in the eyes, loss of smell or taste, muscular pain. The symptoms were reported by the resident and with no reference to diagnosis by a doctor.

Further studies in the health field identified overlapped symptoms that may be associated with Covid-19. In this respect, and, according to these references, it was possible to combine symptoms in order to produce a summary indicator. The groups of symptoms included: loss of smell or taste, or cough and fever and difficulty to breathe, or cough and fever and pain in the chest.

In June, about 15.5 million persons (or 7.3% of the population) had one of the symptoms of the flu. In May, 11.4% of the population (24 million persons) did. Loss of smell or taste was reported by 1.0% of the population (2.2 million persons). Then came cough, fever and difficulty to breathe (0.3% or 703 thousand persons) and cough, fever and pain in the chest (0.3% or 508 thousand persons).

In terms of the summary indicator, 2.4 million persons (or 1.1% of the population) had overlapped symptons that could mean an infection by Covid-19 (loss of smell or taste or fever, cough and difficulty to breathe or fever, cough and pain in the chest). In May, the figure amounted to 4.2 million, which is equivalent to 2.0% of the population.

North Region has the biggest percentage of persons with flu-like symptoms

The North Region had the biggest percentage of persons with flu-like symptoms (8.9% or 1.6 million of persons), as well as the biggest percentage of persons with any of overlapped symptoms (3.1% or 564 thousand persons). On the other hand, the Central West, had the lowest pecentage, 6.4%, of persons with any of the symptoms and the South, the lowest, 0.4% for persons with overlapped symptoms.

Percentage of persons that reported having any of the symtoms investigated or any of the overlapped symptoms, in the total population (%) - Brazil and Major Regions - May and June 2020

58% of the persons with flu-like symptoms were black or brown

Among the persons who had any of the flu-like symptoms, 56.9% were women, 50.2% were between 30 and 59 years of age, 58.0% were self-declared black or white, 34.7% had not concluded elementary school.

Among persons who had any of the associated symptoms, women represented 57.8% and black or brown persons, 68.3%. By age bracket, the biggest percentage was registered among persons aged 30 to 59 (54.8%), followed by the group aged 0 to 29 (34.4%) and by the elderly aged 60 and over (10.8%). 

3.0 million persons with symptoms sought medical care - 77.6% in the public system

About 19.2% (or 3.0 million) of the persons with one of the symptoms sought medical care in a health establishment, a percentage of 43.0% among those who had any of the overlapped symptoms (or 1.0 million persons).

In comparison with May, fewer persons with any of the symptoms or with associated symptoms sought medical care, but, proportionally, the search for a health establishment increased in June. In May there were a total 3.8 million persons with a symptom (15.7%) and 1.3 million persons with an overlapped symptom (31.3%) searching for a health establishment.

Most of the persons sought medical care in public health establishments (community health care units, family health staff, UPAs, emergency care units or SUS hospitals): 77.6% of those with any of the symptoms (2.3 million persons) and 82.3% of those with any of the overlapped symptoms (846 thousand persons).

In the public health system, primary care was a highlight as the main type persons sought for medical care in June, with 1.3 million (45.3%) of persons with any of the symptoms and 477 thousand (46.4%) of persons with any of the overlaped symptoms. The search for medical care at SUS emergency car units or at hospitals (public, private or by managed the armed forces) was also high, respectively of 21.4% and 21.7%, among those with any of the symptoms and 25.8% and 26.4% among those with overlapped symptoms.  

In June, 115 thousand persons were hospitalized with any of the symptoms investigated

Among the persons who sought medical care in hospitals, 12.0% (115 thousand) of those who had any of the symptoms investigated and 15.0% (57 thousand) had to be hospitalized. Most of them were men (55.2% and 50.3%, respectively) and black or brown (60.3% and 58.5%, respectively). Also, among the persons aged 60 and over with symptoms and who sought medical care, 40.2% were hospitalized.