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Pandemic Forces Thousands of Brazilians to Venture into Construction; Average Income of Workers Drops in a Year
The construction sector plays an important role in the economy and job creation. Data released by the National Household Sample Survey (Pnad Continua) indicates that construction saw a 19.6% increase in the employed population in Brazil over the past year.
On the other hand, while the construction sector creates more job opportunities, the average income of workers in the sector has sharply decreased over the last 12 months.
Experts believe that the increase in the number of people working in construction is due to the country’s economic situation, forcing informal workers to enter the sector. With the pandemic and employment difficulties in the country, many are choosing to work in construction. A downside to this is the drop in the average income of workers in the sector.
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Informal Workers Seek Opportunities in Construction
In the second quarter of last year, when the pandemic still caused major circulation restrictions, the number of people working in the construction sector was 5.3 million. By the second half of this year, the number of people working in the sector reached 6.4 million. This means that 1 million people began working in construction within a year.
During the same period, the average income of workers dropped from R$ 2,087 to R$ 1,778. These figures correspond to a reduction of 14.8% in earnings, the highest among the 10 sectors surveyed.
