Unemployment rate in Brazil decreases to 8.3%

In the quarter ending in May, the unemployment rate in Brazil dropped to 8.3 percent, marking a decrease of 0.3 percentage points compared to the previous quarter (December 2022 to February 2023). This rate is the lowest for a May-ending quarter since 2015, when it also stood at 8.3 percent. Furthermore, compared to the same period in 2022, the unemployment rate experienced a decline of 1.5 percentage points.

The data from the National Continuous Household Sample Survey (Pnad Contínua), released on Friday (Jun. 30) by the government´s statistic agency IBGE, revealed that the decrease in the unemployment rate was primarily due to a decline in the number of job seekers rather than a significant increase in employment. Adriana Beringuy, coordinator of the IBGE's Household Sample Surveys, emphasized that “the lower pressure on the labor market led to the reduction in the unemployment rate.”

The number of the unemployed population stood at 8.9 million individuals, a 3 percent drop in relation to the previous quarter and a decrease of 15.9 percent if compared with the same period in 2022. The total number of occupied individuals stood at 98.4 million, remaining stable in the quarterly comparison but experienced a 0.9 percent increase over the year.

“While there was no notable expansion in the overall employed population during the quarter, specific economic activities witnessed variations. The sectors of agriculture, livestock, forestry production, fishing, and aquaculture saw a decrease of 1.9 percent (equivalent to 158,000 fewer individuals), while public administration, defense, social security, education, human health, and social services experienced growth of 2.5 percent (equivalent to 429,000 more individuals),” as highlighted by Beringuy.