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Labour · Latin America & Caribbean · Upper-middle income

Brazil: the labour market

Labour force is 108m (2025), 6th of 187 in the world and 1st of 31 in Latin America & Caribbean. Participation rate is 63.1% (2025), 83rd of 187 in the world and 16th of 31 in Latin America & Caribbean. Women's participation is 53.4% (2025), 92nd of 187 in the world and 13th of 31 in Latin America & Caribbean.

Labour force108m2025 · world 6/187 · region 1/31Participation rate63.1%2025 · world 83/187 · region 16/31Women's participation53.4%2025 · world 92/187 · region 13/31Employment rate59.4%2025 · world 80/187 · region 15/31
Labour force
Brazil
70.0m80.0m90.0m100m110m1995200020052010201520202025Brazil108m
Participation rate
BrazilLatin America & CaribbeanUpper-middle incomeWorld
55%60%65%70%75%1995200020052010201520202025Brazil63.1%Latin America & CaribbeanUpper-middle incomeWorld
13 indicators

Labour: Brazil in detail

Latest reported value, world rank and rank within Latin America & Caribbean; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.

IndicatorLatestWorld rankIn region~2000~2010~202010-year changeRegionIncome groupWorldSince 2000
Labour forceLabour force, total108m20256/1871/3180.3m96.5m100m+7.7%since 2015325m1.5bn3.7bn
Participation rateLabour force participation, % of 15+63.1%202583/18716/3165.8%66.1%60.5%−1.1 ppsince 201562.7%62.7%61.0%
Women's participationFemale labour force participation, % of women 15+53.4%202592/18713/3151.9%55.0%50.3%+0.1 ppsince 201551.4%53.4%48.9%
Employment rateEmployment to population ratio, 15+ (ILO)59.4%202580/18715/3158.6%60.6%52.2%+0.6 ppsince 201559.3%59.5%58.1%
UnemploymentUnemployment, % of labour force (ILO)6.0%202579/18717/3110.9%8.4%13.7%−2.6 ppsince 20155.5%5.2%4.8%
Female unemploymentFemale unemployment, % of female labour force (ILO)7.3%202568/18716/3114.2%11.5%16.2%−3.0 ppsince 20156.5%5.1%4.9%
Youth unemploymentYouth unemployment, ages 15–24 (ILO)14.0%202586/18717/3120.3%18.2%30.3%−5.5 ppsince 201512.2%15.6%13.4%
Youth NEET rateYouth not in education, employment or training, %18.7%202581/17016/2819.6%200119.4%201126.0%−3.4 ppsince 201518.1%17.3%—
Wage workersWage and salaried workers, % of total employment69.7%202588/18714/3165.0%69.7%67.5%+0.2 ppsince 201564.4%61.3%53.6%
Vulnerable employmentVulnerable employment, % of total employment (ILO)26.1%202598/18716/3130.2%25.9%27.9%−0.2 ppsince 201531.5%34.8%42.4%
Jobs in agricultureEmployment in agriculture, % of total employment7.6%2025119/18721/3114.2%10.5%9.3%−1.7 ppsince 201512.7%19.8%25.8%
Jobs in industryEmployment in industry, % of total employment20.2%202577/18711/3123.5%24.2%20.3%−2.6 ppsince 201520.5%27.7%23.7%
Jobs in servicesEmployment in services, % of total employment72.2%202551/18710/3162.3%65.3%70.4%+4.3 ppsince 201566.8%52.4%50.6%
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.

Better than ten years ago

Worse than ten years ago

No rated indicator got worse over the decade.

Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).

neighbours

Brazil and its neighbours

Countries sharing a land border with Brazil. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.

IndicatorBrazilFranceColombiaArgentinaPeruVenezuela
Labour force108m202531.9m202527.1m202522.4m202519.2m202511.1m2025
Participation rate63.1%202555.3%202563.4%202561.9%202572.9%202551.9%2025
Women's participation53.4%202551.5%202551.6%202552.5%202565.0%202537.1%2025
Employment rate59.4%202551.2%202558.1%202557.5%202569.1%202549.2%2025
Unemployment6.0%20257.5%20258.3%20257.1%20255.1%20255.3%2025
Female unemployment7.3%20257.5%202510.5%20258.1%20255.8%20255.8%2025
Youth unemployment14.0%202518.9%202517.7%202519.2%20259.5%202510.4%2025
Youth NEET rate18.7%202511.0%202522.0%202515.2%202522.8%202237.1%2020
Wage workers69.7%202586.7%202554.4%202574.4%202548.7%202559.6%2025
France: labourColombia: labourArgentina: labourPeru: labourVenezuela: labour
Labour in Latin America & Caribbeanall 42 economies rankedLabour: upper-middle-income countries59 economies rankedLabour: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesBrazil: all key statisticscountry profile