Informal work reached 41.6% of Brazilian workers in 2019

Informality in the labor market reached 41.6 percent of workers in Brazil in 2019—a total of 39.3 million people. Of those employed with no education or workers who did not finish elementary school, the proportion of informal workers stood at 62.4 percent, but just 21.9 percent among those with a university degree.

The data come from the Summary of Social Indicators, published today (Nov. 12) by Brazil’s government statistics agency IBGE.

The country’s black and brown population (47.4%) was more present in informal occupations in all states, compared to white people (34.5%).

The activities with the highest number of people in informal occupations last year were household services (72.5%), agriculture (67.2%), construction (64.5%). According to IBGE, since 2014, as a result of the slowdown in the labor market, there has been a relative expansion in informal occupation, chiefly in transport, storage and mail, lodging, food, and construction.

In 2009, the proportion of workers in informal occupations reached 61.6 percent in the North and 56.9 percent in the Northeast. The Southeast and the south showed rates of 34.9 and 29.1 percent, respectively.