{
  "id": 27775,
  "title": "Second quarter has 5.4% unemployment, lowest ever for the period",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/07/31/second-quarter-has-5-4-unemployment-lowest-ever-for-the-period",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-07-31T16:06:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Agencia Brasil",
    "slug": "agencia-brasil",
    "url": "https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/en/economia/noticia/2026-07/second-quarter-has-54-unemployment-lowest-ever-period"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Brazil's unemployment rate for the second quarter of the year dropped to 5.4 percent, marking the lowest level ever recorded since the Continuous National Household Sample Survey (PNAD) began in 2012. The decline comes after a rise in the first quarter, where the rate was 6.1 percent. The data, released by the statistics bureau IBGE on July 30, highlights a strengthening job market in the South American country. Employed people increased to 103.1 million, surpassing the previous high and showing a notable increase of over 1.081 million compared to the first quarter. The number of unemployed individuals dropped by 718,000, with the total now at 5.9 million, a 10 percent decrease from the first quarter. The report also reveals that 39.4 million workers held formal employment contracts, the highest number ever recorded in the survey's history. Informal workers accounted for 37.4 percent of the employed population, with Brazil's average monthly income standing at BRL 3,738, a slight decrease from BRL 3,765 in the same period last year. Despite the record-low unemployment rate, income remains relatively stable due to new hires often earning wages close to the average. The high interest rate set by the Central Bank at 14.25 percent does not seem to negatively impact employment, as the labor market creates a positive feedback loop, boosting consumption, orders, and production. The number of discouraged workers, those who stopped seeking employment due to a lack of opportunities, decreased by 14.7 percent, with only 2.3 million individuals falling into this category. The IBGE's PNAD survey, which monitors labor market trends for individuals aged 14 and older, includes all forms of employment and visits 211,000 households across the country.",
  "summary": "Brazil’s unemployment rate in the second quarter stood at 5.4 percent, reaching the lowest level ever recorded since 2012, when the historical series of the Continuous National Household Sample Survey (PNAD) began. The result represents a decline from the first quarter of the year (6.1%) and compared to the same period in 2025, when it stood at 5.8 percent. The data were released on Thursday…",
  "key_points": [
    "Brazil's unemployment rate fell to 5.4% in Q2, lowest ever recorded",
    "Employed population surged to 103.1 million, a 1.081 million increase",
    "Formal employment reached record high at 39.4 million workers"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/27775.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}