Unemployment in Latin America's largest country is at its highest level since 2012, the Brazilian government said on Thursday. Brazil's IBGE statistics bureau said that the jobless rate in the three months through January was 9.5%, compared to the 6.8% in the same period one year ago.
The number of people out of work by the end of January rose to 9.6 million — up 6% from the previous three-month period. IBGE said that 91.7 million people were employed during the three month period, 0.7 percent point less than in the August to October period, and that average monthly wages dropped from 1,988 Real to 1,939 Real.
Earlier this year, Brazil's labor ministry said the country lost 1.5 million payroll jobs in 2015 amid a contracting economy that has led to high inflation and layoffs in the manufacturing and service sectors.
The ministry said that 39.7 million workers were formally employed at the end of last year, compared to 41.2 million at the end of 2014 and 40.8 million in 2013.
Most of the lost payroll jobs were in the industrial and civil construction sectors.
Top Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesIt's strange that neither the political parties nor the people have insisted upon plebiscite / referendum / votes to decide who or which party should govern the country as well as the fate of the responsible & the culprits.
Mar 25th, 2016 - 09:35 am 0That is a massive jump in unemployment.
Mar 25th, 2016 - 10:13 am 0It is as if the Brazilian government is paralysed and doing nothing at all regarding this recession.
No need for the Brazil Nuts to worry about 9.5% unemployment!
Mar 25th, 2016 - 05:19 pm 0Just wait a couple of years with the PT still 'running' things and it will be 20% or higher: then you can worry.
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