The unemployment rate in Brazil rose to 12.4%: 13.1 million people are unemployed

The unemployment rate in Brazil rose again during the quarter ended in February, its second consecutive rise, and it accounted for 12.4% of the economically active population, 0.9 points higher than the 11.6% recorded in the previous three months, the government reported Friday.

According to data published by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the number of unemployed in the country reached 13.1 million people892,000 more than the quarter ended in November.

The unemployment rate "has risen again, but it's not the highest in the series (statistics)." During the same quarter, the highest was 13.2% in 2017. It was expected to increase as it is expected to increase at the beginning of the year, "said Cimar Azeredo, coordinator of work and performance at IBGE, cited in the report.

By sectors, which encompbades the public administration, defense, social security, education, health and social services negative statistics, with 15.9 million employees in February and a loss of 574,000 jobs badyzed during the quarter.

Then they were placed l & # 39; industrywith 11.6 million employees (198,000 fewer than the previous quarter) and constructionwith 6.6 million workers, a reduction of 155,000 places.

"This loss in the areas of public administration, defense, social security, education, health and social services was essentially related to education, which lost 470,000 people"commented Azeredo.

According to official data, Some 12.8 million people were unemployed last year, barely 3% less than in 2017.

Unemployment fell slightly in 2018 due to the slow recovery of the Brazilian economy after the severe recession experienced by the country between 2015 and 2016, during which time gross domestic product (GDP) was Collapsed by 7%, for itself, 3% in 2017 and another 1.1% in 2018.

(With EFE information)