Brazilians are looking for jobs again amid the pandemic. Since August, the workforce has increased by 2.8 million people, which coincided with the cut in half of the emergency aid and the increasing relaxation of restrictive measures to combat Covid-19.
According to data from PNAD Covid released on Tuesday (1), the workforce reached 97.8 million in October, an increase of 1.4 million since September, when emergency aid was reduced by half, going from R $ 600 to R $ 300.
Experts interviewed by Folha had already warned that the cut in the benefit would put pressure on the labor market and increase the unemployment rate, which hit 14.1% in October, a new increase in Pnad Covid less accentuated than in other periods. In September, unemployment was 14%.
Even with the reduction of the population outside the labor force - from 74.1 million to 72.7 million, there is still a considerable contingent of people who did not seek work due to the pandemic or the lack of work due to where they live.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon