Stalled Progress? Empirical Evidence on Unemployment in Brazil, 2012–2021

Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to analyse unemployment and the labour market dynamic, considering the socio-economic classification of occupations, through 2012 and 2021 in Brazil. Based on the PNAD Continua interviews carried out by IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics), it was possible to create a panel following the individuals and their dynamics within the labour market in one trimester. Mainly, the mean time of unemployment in Brazil increased during the period. Worse still, the results highlight that workers are entering unemployment and remaining in that position. The duration analysis has indicated that lower (higher) educational attainments result in higher chances of exiting unemployment and finding a lower (higher) socio-economic occupation. Results from the parametric model indicate that being a woman, having lower educational attainments, not being a household reference person, and living in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil result in lower chances of finding a job.