Private-sector employees with a signed work card
- Data for: Aug 2026
- Aug 2025: 39.1 million (+0.9%)
- Source: IBGE, PNAD Contínua (SIDRA table 6320)
Private-sector employees with a signed work card numbered 39.5 million in the quarter ending Aug 2026, according to the PNAD Contínua. A year earlier (Aug 2025), the figure was 39.1 million (+0.9%). That is 38.1% of the 103.5 million employed people. A year earlier, the share was 38.2%.
Series used: private-sector employees with a signed work card (PNAD Contínua, SIDRA 6320). Data updated on .
Employed people by job type
| Group | People | % of employed |
|---|---|---|
| Private sector, signed work card | 39.5 million | 38.1% |
| Private sector, no work card | 13.7 million | 13.2% |
| Domestic workers | 5.5 million | 5.3% |
| Public sector | 13.0 million | 12.6% |
| Employers | 4.4 million | 4.3% |
| Self-employed | 26.1 million | 25.2% |
| Unpaid family workers | 1.3 million | 1.3% |
| Total employed | 103.5 million | 100.0% |
Quarter ending Aug 2026. Source: IBGE, PNAD Contínua.
Value at the end of each year
| Year | Private-sector employees with a signed work card |
|---|---|
| 2026 (through Aug 2026) | 39.5 million |
| 2025 | 39.4 million |
| 2024 | 38.5 million |
| 2023 | 37.2 million |
| 2022 | 36.1 million |
| 2021 | 33.8 million |
| 2020 | 30.9 million |
| 2019 | 34.2 million |
| 2018 | 33.6 million |
| 2017 | 33.7 million |
| 2016 | 34.4 million |
| 2015 | 36.1 million |
Analysis on this topic
How IBGE defines it
Employees of companies and other private employers with a signed work card (a formal contract). Domestic workers and public-sector employees are not included; they have their own categories.
How to read the numbers
Values are rolling quarters: each point summarizes the three months ending in the month shown, which smooths out month-to-month swings. The PNAD Contínua is a household sample survey, so the figures have a margin of error and IBGE may revise them.
Frequently asked questions
What is the latest value of "Signed work card"?
Private-sector employees with a signed work card: 39.5 million, for Aug 2026. A year earlier (Aug 2025): 39.1 million.
What does "Private-sector employees with a signed work card" mean?
Employees of companies and other private employers with a signed work card (a formal contract). Domestic workers and public-sector employees are not included; they have their own categories.
Where does the "Signed work card" data come from and when is it updated?
The data come from IBGE, PNAD Contínua (SIDRA table 6320). This page shows the figure for Aug 2026 and the base was updated on Oct 26, 2026. The source may revise numbers already published.
Download the data and cite it
Full series in open format: CSV. Unit: thousand people (rolling quarter ending in the month).
Updated . How to cite: dadobruto.com. Private-sector employees with a signed work card. Data: IBGE, PNAD Contínua (SIDRA table 6320). Updated Oct 26, 2026. https://dadobruto.com/en/brazil-in-numbers/formal-private-employees
License: You may copy and republish the data and charts, including commercially, under the CC BY 4.0 license. The condition is to credit "dadobruto.com" and, when published online, to link to dadobruto.com or to the page the data came from. The original numbers follow the rules of IBGE, PNAD Contínua (SIDRA table 6320).
Also searched as: formal employment, signed work card, formal jobs Brazil.