Survey by Fiocruz with data from the 2022 Continuous PNAD questions the label “neither-nor generation” by showing that 82.5% of young people perform domestic or care work, a proportion that reaches 90% among women, while young black women dedicate an average of 19 hours per week to these unpaid activities within families.
The expression “neither-nor generation” is often used to identify young people who neither study nor engage in paid work. A new survey, however, shows that this classification fails to account for millions of Brazilians occupied with domestic tasks and caring for children, relatives, or other family members.
The information is part of the study “Overlap of activities in youth: studying, working, and caring,” released on June 30, 2026, by the National Secretariat for Care and Family of the Ministry of Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight Against Hunger, in partnership with Fiocruz. The report was published by Viva Notícias on July 1, 2026.
Survey broadens the concept of occupation among young people
The study analyzed microdata from the Annual Continuous National Household Sample Survey, the Continuous PNAD, of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, referring to 2022. The analysis considered young people between 15 and 29 years old and observed not only study and employment but also domestic and care activities.
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When these tasks are included, only 2% of young people appear without studying, working, or caring for someone. The result significantly alters the traditional reading of the “neither-nor generation”, usually constructed only based on school attendance and participation in the labor market.
The research contrasts with data presented by the Ministry of Labor and Employment, according to which 6.2 million young people were out of school and work, a number equivalent to approximately 18% of this population. The two pieces of information are not necessarily incompatible, as they use different criteria to classify the activities performed.
While the traditional indicator observes school and paid occupation, the Fiocruz study includes unpaid domestic and care work. This change reveals that part of the young people considered inactive, in reality, maintain constant responsibilities within their own household.
Domestic work reaches 82.5% of youth
According to the report, 82.5% of Brazilians between 15 and 29 years old engage in some domestic or caregiving activity. Among women, the proportion reaches 90%, indicating that these responsibilities are not distributed equally among different groups.
The tasks include taking care of the house, children, and other relatives, as well as activities necessary for the daily functioning of the family. Although they do not produce a salary, they consume time and can interfere with staying in school, accessing employment, and availability for other experiences.
The absence of remuneration does not mean the absence of work. This is one of the main issues raised by the study when challenging the indiscriminate use of the term “neither-nor generation” to describe young people who do not appear in traditional employment statistics.
The coordinator of the Fiocruz Youth Agenda, André Sobrinho, stated in a note that Brazilian youth is marked by the accumulation of activities. According to him, many young people work and study simultaneously, while also needing to care for others, a situation more common among women.
Study, employment, and caregiving form simultaneous journeys
The report identified an overlap of journeys during youth. Instead of remaining inactive, many young people balance school, paid work, household maintenance, and family caregiving, a combination that can increase social vulnerability at this stage of life.
More than a quarter of students over 18 years old also care for someone at home or in the family. This group includes approximately 1.2 million women, according to the data presented in the survey.
Among teenagers aged 15 to 17, three out of four perform unpaid domestic or caregiving work while attending school. The study routine, therefore, does not eliminate the responsibilities assumed at home.
In the age group of 18 to 24 years, about 9% of women combine study, caregiving, and paid work. The proportion rises to 18% among those aged 25 to 29, showing that the number of activities can increase as they progress into adulthood.
Black women face the highest caregiving burdens
The inequality identified by the study also has a racial dimension. Young black women dedicate twice as many hours to caregiving work compared to white and black men, according to the information gathered by Fiocruz.
Between 18 and 24 years old, young black women dedicate, on average, 19 hours per week to these tasks. This time represents almost half of a 40-hour professional workweek, although the activities are performed without compensation.
The national secretary of the Care Policy, Laís Abramo, stated in a note that young women, especially black women, are among the groups most burdened by unpaid care. The lack of adequate public policies can limit rights related to education, work, culture, leisure, and public participation.
The data show that the debate about the neither-nor generation cannot disregard gender and race. The same statistical indicator can encompass very different situations, from job searching to interrupting studies to take on family responsibilities.
Percentage without any activity remains low
Among women aged 25 to 29, the portion that does not study, work, or perform domestic or care activities ranges from 0.7% to 2.6%, according to the report. For those responsible for the study, these percentages weaken the idea of a broadly idle youth.
The analysis does not deny that there are young people away from school and the labor market. What the survey questions is the automatic interpretation that all are without responsibilities or not contributing economically and socially.
The label neither-nor generation can hide forms of work that occur within homes and remain off payrolls. By including these tasks, the research presents a less inactive youth and more subjected to multiple shifts.
This difference also interferes with the formulation of public policies. Measures aimed exclusively at professional qualification or returning to school may be insufficient when the young person has no one to share the care of children, relatives, or dependents with.
Research proposes a new perspective on youth
The Fiocruz study does not turn all domestic activities into formal employment nor eliminate the problems of access to education and the labor market. The central contribution is in showing that the absence of these two links does not necessarily represent a lack of occupation.
By recognizing care as part of the youth routine, the survey broadens the context used to understand the so-called neither-nor generation. The issue is no longer just why certain young people do not study or work but includes which responsibilities prevent or hinder these choices.
The data also indicate that the burden does not affect everyone in the same way. Women, especially black women, appear exposed to the most extensive shifts, combining study, work, and care with little time available for other life dimensions.
This reading helps explain why seemingly simple indicators can hide complex realities. A person classified as out of school and work may spend several hours a day on house maintenance or caring for family members without receiving statistical or financial recognition.
Label needs to consider the work that remains invisible
The results presented in June 2026 show that only a small portion of young people do not engage in any of the analyzed activities. For the majority, daily life involves study, employment, care, or different combinations of these responsibilities.
More than identifying a neither-nor generation, the report describes an overwhelmed youth marked by inequalities. The challenge is to recognize unpaid work and create conditions so that care does not primarily distance Black women from education, employment, and social participation.
In your opinion, does the expression neither-nor generation still correctly represent the reality of Brazilian youth, or does it ignore the work done within families? Leave your comment and tell us how household and care tasks are divided in your home.
