Brazil’s unemployment rate fell to 5.4% in the second quarter of 2026, according to IBGE’s Continuous National Household Sample Survey (PNAD Contínua). That was down 0.7 percentage points from 6.1% in the first quarter. It was also 0.4 points below the 5.8% recorded a year earlier.
The figures cover April through June. They provide a snapshot of that period, rather than a measure of unemployment on the publication date.
Brazil’s unemployment rate varies across states
Unemployment declined in 13 of Brazil’s 27 federation units, which comprise 26 states and the Federal District. Rio Grande do Norte recorded the largest drop, at 1.9 percentage points. Paraíba and Acre followed, both down 1.6 points.
However, the regional gap remained large. Amapá recorded 9.8%, Bahia 9.1%, and both Pernambuco and Piauí 8.3%. In contrast, the lowest rates were in Santa Catarina (2.1%), Mato Grosso (2.2%) and Espírito Santo (2.3%).
Gender gap and earnings
The survey also showed a gender gap. Unemployment stood at 4.6% among men, compared with 6.4% among women. Meanwhile, average real monthly earnings reached R$3,738, above the R$3,635 recorded in the same period of 2025.
For further details, see the government’s report on the regional results and SBT News’s breakdown of the IBGE data.
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