Slave-like labor: over 2,000 workers rescued in Brazil in 2024
In 2024, Brazil´s Ministry of Labor and Employment conducted 1,035 inspections to combat slave-like labor. These operations led to the rescue of 2,004 workers in degrading conditions and secured BRL 7,061,526.03 in labor and severance payments.
In a statement, the ministry reported that the fight against slave-like labor in 2024 benefited a total of 5,741 workers, including those whose rights— even if not classified as contemporary slave-like labor—were verified and upheld through the efforts of labor inspectors.
The sectors with the highest number of workers rescued were construction (293), coffee cultivation (214), onion cultivation (194), land preparation, cultivation, and harvesting (120), and horticulture—excluding strawberries—(84).
“These figures highlight a notable increase in the number of workers rescued in urban areas, which represented 30 percent of the total identified as being in slave-like conditions in 2024,” the ministry stated.
In 2024, the labor inspectorate carried out 22 targeted inspections in the domestic sector, leading to the rescue of 19 workers.
Inspection actions
The states with the highest number of tax actions in 2024 were São Paulo (191), Minas Gerais (136), Rio Grande do Sul (82), Paraná (42), and both Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro (41 each).
In terms of worker rescues, the leading states were Minas Gerais (500), São Paulo (467), Bahia (198), Goiás (155), Pernambuco (137), and Mato Grosso do Sul (105).
Each rescued worker is entitled by law to Unemployment Insurance for Rescued Workers, paid in three installments of one minimum wage each. This benefit, along with the labor rights secured from employers, aims to provide essential support for workers to rebuild their lives.
“Today, we are internationally recognized by the UN [United Nations] and the International Labour Organization as a model of best practices in implementing public policy to eradicate slave-like labor,” said the ministry's general inspection coordinator, André Esposito.
*Ana Carolina Alli, intern under the supervision of Marcelo Brandão, contributed to this report.
