One In Every Four Occupations Already Uses Intermittent Contracts

08/15/2018 - 14h06

Intermittent employment contracts, created in 2017 with the labor law reform, already represent one in four occupations in the formal labor market.

Between April and June of this year, 642 of the 2,469 professions that hired or laid off workers used the new law, according to data from Brazil's Labor Department.

Almost 10,000 jobs of the 162,000 created in the same period were for intermittent positions. This represents 6% of the total.

In June, when the layoffs were greater than the hires, the net balance of intermittent positions remained positive.

Intermittent contracts are characterized for a lack of regular work hours. The person is called to come in to work according to the employer's needs and can choose not to go.

Although these type of contracts are concentrated in low-skilled jobs - like retail workers, janitors and security guards - they are also being used for high-skilled work.

	Pedro Ladeira - 26.abr.17/Folhapress
	Parliamentarians protested against labor law reform in 2017

In the second quarter, intermittent contracts represented 10% of openings requiring a college or high school degree, in careers like nursing, education and enginnering..

Created with the goal of bringing more flexibility to the job market, intermittent contracts are controversial. Supporters say that it will help seasonal workers have regular contracts and will create more formal jobs. Opponents fear that new contract will lead to more sub-employment, as it allows to exchange employees with regular shifts for seasonal labor.

Translated by NATASHA MADOV

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