The unemployment rate in Brazil rose to 6.1% in the moving quarter ended March 2026 from 5.8% in the prior quarter, matching market expectations. Still, this marks the lowest rate for a quarter ended in March in the historical series, which began in 2012. The unemployed population grew by 19.6% to 6.6 million in the quarter. Employment fell 2.5% in the public sector and 1.0% in the private sector. The employment level was 58.2%, a drop of 0.7 p.p. in the quarter. Over the year, the unemployed population fell by 13.0%. source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE)

Unemployment Rate in Brazil increased to 6.10 percent in March from 5.80 percent in February of 2026. Unemployment Rate in Brazil averaged 9.68 percent from 2012 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 14.90 percent in September of 2020 and a record low of 5.10 percent in December of 2025. This page provides the latest reported value for - Brazil Unemployment Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. Brazil Unemployment Rate - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on May of 2026.

Unemployment Rate in Brazil increased to 6.10 percent in March from 5.80 percent in February of 2026. Unemployment Rate in Brazil is expected to be 6.00 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Brazil Unemployment Rate is projected to trend around 6.90 percent in 2027 and 7.10 percent in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-03-27 12:00 PM
Unemployment Rate
Feb 5.8% 5.4% 5.7% 5.8%
2026-04-30 12:00 PM
Unemployment Rate
Mar 6.1% 5.8% 6.1% 5.90%
2026-05-28 12:00 PM
Unemployment Rate
Apr 6.1% 5.9% 6.0%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Employed Persons 101.98 102.15 Million Mar 2026
Employment Rate 58.20 58.40 percent Mar 2026
Labor Force Participation Rate 62.00 61.90 percent Mar 2026
Unemployed Persons 6.58 6.24 Million Mar 2026
Unemployment Rate 6.10 5.80 percent Mar 2026
Wages 3722.00 3702.00 BRL/Month Mar 2026
Wages in Manufacturing 3515.00 3521.00 BRL/Month Mar 2026


Brazil Unemployment Rate
In Brazil, the unemployment rate measures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
6.10 5.80 14.90 5.10 2012 - 2026 percent Monthly
NSA

News Stream
Brazil Unemployment Rate Rises in March
The unemployment rate in Brazil rose to 6.1% in the moving quarter ended March 2026 from 5.8% in the prior quarter, matching market expectations. Still, this marks the lowest rate for a quarter ended in March in the historical series, which began in 2012. The unemployed population grew by 19.6% to 6.6 million in the quarter. Employment fell 2.5% in the public sector and 1.0% in the private sector. The employment level was 58.2%, a drop of 0.7 p.p. in the quarter. Over the year, the unemployed population fell by 13.0%.
2026-04-30
Brazil Unemployment Rate Comes Above Expectations
The unemployment rate in Brazil averaged 5.8% in the moving quarter to February of 2026, slightly higher than market expectations of 5.7% but still marking the lowest for the period on record. The figure compared to the 6.8% rate in the corresponding period of the previous year and the 5.2% in the moving quarter ending November of last year, which seasonally sees lower unemployment.
2026-03-27
Brazil Unemployment Rate Holds at Tight Range
The unemployment rate in Brazil averaged 5.4% in the moving quarter ending January 2026, remaining unchanged from that of the moving quarter ending October of 2025, and aligned with market expectations. It was the slowest on record for the period, holding the view that the Brazilian labor market remained tight at the turn of the year despite the prolonged period of high base rates by the central bank and slowdown in growth. The unemployed population remained broadly unchanged from the earlier moving quarter at 5.9 million, and the employed population also remained loosely unchanged at 102.7 million. In the meantime, average wages grew by 2.8% on the quarter to R$3,65 monthly. This was equivalent to a 5.4% annual growth rate, ahead of the inflation rate in the period.
2026-03-05