The unemployment rate (10.5%) in the moving quarter from February to April 2022 decreased by 0.7 percentage points against the quarter of November 2021 to January (11.2%) and 4.3 percentage points in relation to the same period a year ago. This is the lowest unemployment rate for a quarter ended April since 2015, when it was 8.1%.  The unemployed population (11.3 million persons) fell 5.8% (699 thousand persons) against the previous quarter (12.0 million persons) and 25.3% (3.8 million unemployed persons) in relation to the same period last year (15.2 million persons).

The number of employed persons was estimated at nearly 96.5 million, a record in the time series started in 2012, with a high of 1.1% against the previous quarter (1.1 million persons) and of 10.3% (9.0 million persons) against the same period of the previous year. Estimated at 55.8%, the employment-population ratio - percentage of employed persons in the population at working age - grew 0.5 percentage points (pp) against the previous quarter and 4.8 pp over the same quarter in the previous year (51.1%).

The composite underutilization rate (22.5%) fell 1.4 percentage points in relation to the quarter from November 2021 to January 2022 (23.9%) and 7.1 percentage points in the comparison with the quarter ended in April 2021 (29.6%). It is the lowest rate for the quarter since 2016 (20.1%). The underutilized population (26.1 million persons) dropped 6.0% (1.7  million less persons) against the previous quarter (27.8 million) and 22.5% (7.6 million less) in the annual comparison (33.7 million).

The time-related underemployed population (6.6 million persons) decreased in relation to the previous quarter by 5.3% (369 thousand less persons). In relation to the quarter ended January 2022, there was a decrease of 10.0% (730 thousand persons).

The population outside the labor force (64.9 million persons) remained stable when compared with the previous quarter and dropped 5.3% (3.6 million less persons) in the annual comparison.

The discouraged population (4.5 million persons) reduced 6.4% (303 thousand less persons) over the previous quarter and 24.6% (1.5 million less persons) in the annual comparison. The percentage of discouraged persons in the labor force (4.0%) fell against the previous quarter and recorded a decrease of 1.5 pp against the same quarter a year ago (5.4%).

The number of workers with a formal labor contract in the private sector (except domestic workers) was 35.2 million persons, having increased 2.0% (690 thousand persons  against the previous quarter and 11.6% (an increase by 3.7 million persons) in the annual comparison.

The number of workers without a formal labor contract in the private sector (12.5 million persons) was the highest n the series. This figure recorded stability in relation to the previous quarter and had high of 20.8% (2.2 million persons) in the year.

The number of self-employed workers (25.5 million) remained stable in relation to the previous quarter, yet it rose 7.2% (1.7 million more persons) in the year.

The number of domestic workers (5.8 million persons) remained stable compared with the previous quarter, but rose 22.7% (1.0 million more persons) in the year.

The number of employers (4.1 million persons) held steady against the previous quarter and grew 11.2% (414 thousand persons) in relation to the same quarter a year ago.

The number of persons employed in the public sector (11.5 million persons) remained stable in both comparisons. 

The informality rate was 40.1% of the employed population or 38.7 million informal workers. That rate had been 40.4% in the previous quarter and 39.3% in the same quarter of 2021.

The usual real earnings, of R$ 2,569 in the quarter ended April, recorded stability against the previous quarter and decreased by 7.9% against the same quarter a year ago.  The usual real wage bill (R$ 242.9 billion) grew over the previous quarter and stood stable in the annual comparison.

Unemployment Rate - Brazil - 2012/2022

Estimated at 107.9 million persons in the moving quarter of February to April 2022, the labor force (employed and unemployed persons) increased 0.4% (384 thousand persons) in comparison with the quarter from November 2021 to January 2022, and recorded an increase of 5.1% (5.2 million persons against the same quarter last year. It is the biggest amount of persons in the labor farce in this series.

Among the activity groups, against the previous moving quarter, there was increase in the group of Transportation, storage and mailing (3.1% or 152 thousand more persons), Public administration, defense, social security, education, human health and social services (1.5% or 251 thousand more persons) and Other services (4.8% or 233 thousand more persons). The other groups did not record significant changes.

Against the quarter ended in April 2021, increases were observed in:  General Industry (9.4%, or 1.1 million more persons), Construction (14.6%, or 940 thousand more persons), Trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (13.7%, or 2.2 million more persons), Transportation, storage and mailing (11.7%, or  525 thousand more persons), Lodging and food (29.2%, or 1.2 million more persons), Information, Communication and Financial , Real Estate, Professional and Administrative Activities (4.0%, or 446 thousand more persons), Public administration, defense, social security, education, human health and social services (3.5%, or 562 thousand more persons), Other services (21.4%, or 903 thousand more persons) and Domestic services (22.6%, or 1.1 million more persons). Just Agriculture, livestock, forestry, fishery and aquaculture did not present significant change.

Composite underutilization rate - Quarter from February to April - Brazil - 2021 to 2022 (%)

No activity grew in terms of usual real average earnings (R$2,569.00) against the previous moving quarter. The groups Public administration, defense, social security, education, human health and social services recorded a decrease (2.5% or R$ 93 less).

In the annual comparison there was not growth either in any group of activity. Reductions occurred in: Industry (6.5% or less R$175) and Public administration, defense, social security, education, human health and social services (14.7% or R$623 less).

Among the employment types, in comparison with the previous moving quarter, there was an increase in the category of Workers without a formal contract (4.3% or R$ 71).  The category of Workers in the public sector (including statutory official and military) dropped (2.2% or R$88  less). In the comparison with the quarter from February to April of 2021, there was no growth in any of the categories.