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The number of employees in agribusiness grew last year. The numbers were again higher than in the pre-pandemic period.
Agribusiness is providing work for more than 19 million people, according to information from the Center for Advanced Studies in Applied Economics (Cepea), together with data worked by Pnad-continuous, National Household Sample Survey at Rais, Annual Information List Social.
The numbers are from the third quarter of 2022. In 2021, in the same period, employability grew by 170,8 thousand. A growth of around 0,9%. The numbers for 2022 represent higher numbers than those calculated in 2015, when 4,2 million people were employed. In the agroservices sector alone, the number is 6,34 million, the highest number since 2012, according to Cepea. The data are from the Historical Series of the Center.
In the primary sector of agribusiness, jobs were reduced. 4,66% less compared to 2021, in the same period. There was a cut of 410.640 jobs. The agricultural sector, crops, cereals and coffee, was the most affected, as well as poultry, fishing and aquaculture activities, representatives of livestock.
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With an average salary of around R$ 2.200, this number also represents an increase in the third quarter of 2022. % more than in the same period of the year before last.
The self-employed were those who received the lowest wages. An average of BRL 1.752 in the period, an increase of 11,52% compared to 2021. The amount is less than what autonomous workers in other sectors received, an average of BRL 2.073.
Still according to Pnad-contínua, only 36% of agribusiness employees have a work permit, while 33% are self-employed. Only 15% have a formal contract, and 4% are employers. Of the remaining 12%, we have domestic or family workers, or come from the military sector. Cepea also spoke about the number of workers with secondary education, around 60%. In the primary sector, this percentage is 80 points.
The numbers represent a participation of agribusiness of 20,33%, a small drop compared to 2021, whose participation was 20,55%. According to Pnad-continua, in the third quarter of last year, 99,27 million people were employed in Brazil.
The Cepea survey also brings data on the recovery of exports in agribusiness last year. From January to September 2022, combined foreign sales were around US$ 122 billion and exceeded the values recorded in 2021. This demonstrates the resumption of growth in agribusiness, and shows that many countries have already recovered from the COVID pandemic -19. There is also the issue of the war between Russia and Ukraine, which shook the entire sector, destabilizing production chains.
These factors favored Brazil, which was prepared to meet international demand, generating jobs. And, with the Real being devalued, exports provided greater profitability for the agribusiness producer.
