RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Speaker of the House, Arthur Lira, today (3) made an analysis of the unemployment scenario in the country.
He pointed out that although the country had a record unemployment rate of around 15% in 2020 and 2021, the current figures show a continuing recovery process.
“The unemployment rate fell to 11% in the quarter that ended in January this year, the lowest result in this period since 2016, and we still have 12 million Brazilians waiting for a salary,” he said.
Lira recalled that the Nationwide Consumer Price Index (IPCA) reached its highest level in 20 years in March, further reducing the purchasing power of Brazilians.
The indicator is considered the official thermometer of inflation in Brazil. “For every ten workers, there are four informal workers, and there are no signs that this index could fall in the short term,” he said. According to him, those most affected are “those who are already victims of social exclusion.”
SELF-COMMITMENT
Highlighting the current economic scenario, Lira reiterated the deputies’ commitment to further reduce the unemployment rate and strengthen “responsible economic policies.”
In this sense, he assessed that remote work, adopted by many productive sectors during the worst phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, harms those who do not have the means, equipment, and technologies to work from home.
“It is critical that policy debates address these elements of the reality of work. The authorities must ensure economic growth and the creation of formal jobs, which depends on improving the business environment and attracting investors,” he said.