The IBGE releases today the new time series of the Continuous PNAD, which was re-weighted due to the change in the data collection during the Covid-19 pandemic, among other factors.

The technical note about the re-weighting can be accessed here.

The unemployment rate (12.6%) of the moving quarter from July to September 2021 retreated 1.6 percentage points (p.p.) in relation to the quarter between April and June 2021 (14.2%) and 2.2 p.p. against the same moving quarter of 2020 (14.9%).

The unemployed population (13.5 million persons) fell 9.3% (less 1.4 million persons) against the quarter ended in June (14.8 million persons) and 7.8% (less 1.1 million persons) over the same moving quarter of 2020 (14.6 million unemployed persons).

The employed population (93.0 million persons) grew 4.0% (more 3.6 million persons) in relation to the previous moving quarter and 11.4% (more 9.5 million persons) against the same moving quarter of 2020.

The employment-population ratio - percentage of employed persons in the population at working age - was estimated at 54.1%. It rose 2.0 p.p. over the quarter between April and June 2021 (52.1%) and 5.1 p.p. over the same period a year ago (49.0%).

The composite underutilization rate (26.5%) fell 2.0 p.p. in relation to the quarter between April and June 2021 (28.5%) and 3. 9 p.p. compared with the same quarter of 2020 (30.4%).

The underutilized population (30.7 million persons) decreased 5.7% (less 1.9 million persons) over the previous quarter (32.6 million persons) and 8.9 p.p. (less 3.0 million persons) compared with the same quarter of 2020 (33.7 million underutilized persons).

The time-related underemployed population (7.8 million persons) remained stable in relation to the previous quarter (7.7 million persons) and grew in relation to the previous year (6.3 million persons).

The population out of the workforce (65.5 million persons) dropped 2.7% (less 1.8 million persons) over the previous quarter and 9.4% (less 6.8 million persons) in the annual comparison.

The discouraged population (5.1 million persons) reduced 6.5% (less 360 thousand persons) over the previous quarter and 12.4% over the same period of 2020 (5.9 million persons).

The percentage of discouraged workers in the workforce (4.6%) changed -0.4 p.p. over the previous quarter (5.0%) and -1.0 p.p. compared with the same quarter of 2020 (5.6%).

The number of employed persons with a formal contract in the private sector (excluding domestic workers) reached 33.5 million persons, an increase of 4.4% (more 1.4 million persons) against the previous quarter and of 8.6% (more 2.7 million persons) over 2020.

The number of persons employed without a formal contract in the private sector (11.7 million persons) rose 10.2% (1.1 million persons) in relation to the previous quarter and 23.1% (2.2 million persons) against the same quarter of 2020.

The number of self-employed workers (25.5 million persons) grew 3.3% (817 thousand persons) in the monthly comparison and 18.4% (4.0 million persons) in the annual comparison.

The number of domestic workers (5.4 million persons) increased 9.2% compared with the quarter from April to June and 21.3% over the same period of 2020.

The informality rate represented 40.6% of the employed population or 38 million informal workers. That rate had been 40.0% in the previous quarter and 38.0% in the same quarter of 2020.

The usual real earnings (R$2,459) fell 4.0% over the previous quarter and 11.1% over the same quarter of 2020. The usual real wage bill (R$223.5 billion) remained stable in both comparisons.

Unemployment rate - Brazil - 2012/2021

Estimated at 106.4 million persons in the moving quarter from July to September 2021, the workforce (employed and unemployed persons) grew 2.1% (2.2 million persons) against the quarter between April and June 2021 and 8.6% (8.4 million persons) over the same quarter of 2020.

The following activity groups rose against the previous moving quarter: General industry (6.3% or more 721 thousand persons), Construction (7.3% or more 489 thousand persons), Trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (7.5% or more 1.2 million persons),  Housing and food (11.0% or more 486 thousand persons) and Domestic services (8.9% or 444 thousand persons).

Compared with the same moving quarter of 2020, the following groups increased: Agriculture, livestock, forestry, fishing and aquaculture (9.7% or more 803 thousand persons), General Industry (10.7% or more 1.2 million persons), Construction (20.1% or more 1.2 million persons), Trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (13.4% or more 2.1 million persons), Transportation, storage and mailing (12.6% or more 537 thousand persons), Housing and food (26.5% or more 1.0 million persons), Information, communication and financial, real estate, professional and administrative activities (10.4% or more 1.0 million persons) and Other services (21.3% or more 952 thousand persons).

No activity group grew in usual real average earnings against the previous quarter, though the reductions were in: Trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (2.6% or less R$53), Public administration, defense, social security, education, human health and social services (5.7% or less R$218) and Domestic services (3.1% or less R$30).

Composite underutilization rate - Quarters from July to September - Brazil - 2012 to 2021 (%)

No category grew against the quarter from July to September 2020. Anyway, earnings reduced in: Industry (14.7% or less R$428); Construction (7.3% or less R$146); Trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (12.3% or less R$271); Information, Communication and Financial, Real Estate, Professional and Administrative activities (9.6% or less R$376); Public administration, defense, social security, education, human health and social services (9.8% or less R$393); Other services (6.2% or less R$120) and Domestic services (7.6% or less R$76).

Concerning earnings related to employment types, no category grew against the previous quarter. Employees with a formal contract dropped 3.0% (less R$73), Domestic workers , 3.1% (less R$30) and Public servants , 5.5% (less R$225). The categories of Employers and Self-employed workers did not show any significant change. On the other hand, all the types dropped in relation to the same period of 2020.

The number of time-related underemployed persons (7.8 million) remained stable against the previous quarter (7.7 million persons) and rose 23.9% in the annual comparison (6.3 million persons).