Unemployed people in Brazil: how many are looking for work
- Data for: Aug 2026
- Aug 2025: 6.1 million (−4.9%)
- Source: IBGE, PNAD Contínua (SIDRA table 6318)
Brazil had 5.8 million unemployed people in the quarter ending Aug 2026, according to the PNAD Contínua. A year earlier (Aug 2025), the figure was 6.1 million (−4.9%).
Series used: unemployed people (aged 14 or over) (PNAD Contínua, SIDRA 6318). Data updated on .
Value at the end of each year
| Year | Unemployed people (aged 14 or over) |
|---|---|
| 2026 (through Aug 2026) | 5.8 million |
| 2025 | 5.5 million |
| 2024 | 6.7 million |
| 2023 | 7.9 million |
| 2022 | 8.4 million |
| 2021 | 11.8 million |
| 2020 | 14.1 million |
| 2019 | 11.7 million |
| 2018 | 12.2 million |
| 2017 | 12.3 million |
| 2016 | 12.3 million |
| 2015 | 9.1 million |
Analysis on this topic
How IBGE defines it
These are people aged 14 or over who had no work in the reference week, looked for work in the previous 30 days and were available to start. Those who want to work but did not look are outside the labor force and are not counted here.
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 "Unemployed people"?
Unemployed people (aged 14 or over): 5.8 million, for Aug 2026. A year earlier (Aug 2025): 6.1 million.
What does "Unemployed people (aged 14 or over)" mean?
These are people aged 14 or over who had no work in the reference week, looked for work in the previous 30 days and were available to start. Those who want to work but did not look are outside the labor force and are not counted here.
Where does the "Unemployed people" data come from and when is it updated?
The data come from IBGE, PNAD Contínua (SIDRA table 6318). 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. Unemployed people (aged 14 or over). Data: IBGE, PNAD Contínua (SIDRA table 6318). Updated Oct 26, 2026. https://dadobruto.com/en/brazil-in-numbers/unemployed-people
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 6318).
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