Amazonas records the third highest informality rate in the country in 2024

By Jadson Lima – From Cenarium

MANAUS (AM) – Data released by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) on Friday, the 14th, shows that Amazonas ranks third for the highest informality rate in Brazil, behind the States of Pará, Piauí, and Maranhão. According to the indices from the Continuous National Household Sample Survey (PNAD Contínua), the rate of informal workers in the State reached 53.8% in 2024 after peaking in 2021, when it reached 58.7%.

The survey considers the informality rate of people aged 14 or older and places Amazonas with an index more than 14% above the national average. The State also appears above the regional average, which is 53.3%. According to IBGE, the indicators reflect the reliance on less regulated economic activities, such as the trade and services sectors, as well as structural difficulties in the formal labor market.

When comparing the indices of regions in Brazil, the study shows that the North and Northeast regions have the highest informality rates, historically above 50%, while the South and Southeast maintain rates below 35%. The regional difference, IBGE highlights, is associated with the level of economic development, the productive structure, and the degree of formalization of the labor market, with the more industrialized regions presenting lower informality rates.

Unemployment

The indices from the fourth quarter of last year, released by IBGE, also show that the unemployment rate in the State increased. The data points out that the State went from 8.1% in the period from July to September 2024 to 8.3% in the October to December quarter. Despite the 0.2 percentage point increase, the rate remains at a historically low level, which, according to IBGE, reflects a relatively stable labor market.

IBGE revealed that, among the employed people in Amazonas, there was a decline in the number of employees in the private, domestic, and public sectors, while self-employment grew by 4%, reaching 581 thousand people. Commerce and transportation stood out as the sectors with the highest growth. Public administration and commerce continued to be the main employers in the State.

Monthly Income

The PNAD Contínua survey also showed that the average monthly real income of people employed in Amazonas was R$ 2,408 in the fourth quarter of 2024, which represents a 2.5% (R$ 58) increase compared to the previous quarter and a 2.4% (R$ 59) decrease when compared to the same period in 2023.

This quarterly increase, the institution points out, may indicate a gradual recovery in wages, driven by salary adjustments or greater participation in higher-paying sectors. On the other hand, IBGE notes that the decrease in the annual comparison suggests a loss of purchasing power for workers and highlights inflation or changes in the labor market as possible causes for the indices.

Edited by Izaías Godinho
Translated from Portuguese by Gustô Alves