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CNM study details the deficit of teachers and nurses if the reduction of the workweek is approved. Check the impact on Brazilian cities.
The debate about reducing the workweek in Brazil has gained a new warning component: the risk of an immediate deficit in vital professional categories. According to a study by the National Confederation of Municipalities (CNM) released last Friday (May 8), the approval of a shorter work schedule would require local managers to replace almost 10% of the country’s entire current workforce.
Technical differences: PECs versus Bill
Without this replacement, maintaining the public service structure would become unfeasible. The impact is felt most strongly in areas where service cannot be interrupted or automated.
CNM’s analysis points to concerning figures for the functioning of cities if the 36-hour workweek proposals advance:
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China returns to growth above expectations with export recovery in April and a billion-dollar trade surplus that pressures international markets and global competitors.
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At just 11 years old, a student from Santa Catarina transforms crumpled World Cup stickers into a business opportunity and starts selling personalized 3D-printed boxes to schoolmates in Criciúma, with name, color, and protection for the cards.
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Cocoa and chocolate products are now subject to a tougher national rule, and off-standard products will have to change their name, label, and presentation to consumers.
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The state government pays a monthly benefit of R$ 619 per child to low-income families who had triplets or more children in the same pregnancy, and the aid continues to be deposited every month until each child turns 18 years old.
- Education: Deficit of at least 100,000 teachers.
- Public Cleaning: The sector would suffer a shortfall of 58,000 workers responsible for urban maintenance.
- Health: Approximately 20,000 nursing technicians would need to be hired to ensure the functioning of hospitals and clinics.
Currently, the National Congress is analyzing different approaches to reducing the workweek, each with a different legal scope concerning municipalities.
While Proposed Constitutional Amendments (PECs) have a cascading effect on the entire municipal administration, affecting all types of public servants, Bill (PL) 1.838/2026 has a more restricted focus.
Bill 1.838/2026 proposes an immediate 40-hour workweek, but by only altering the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT), its impact on municipalities would be limited to employees governed by this bond. On the other hand, PECs are more drastic: they suggest a reduction to 36 hours per week.
According to Paulo Ziulkoski: “The study focused on the financial impacts of the proposals for local entities, revealing that the impacts will be quite significant and deserve in-depth discussion. It is necessary to warn that such drastic changes must be made with extreme caution, as in the case of public entities, the consequences of legislative measures will be experienced by the population itself.”
The billion-dollar bill for public coffers
Although the social discussion is intense, financial viability is what most concerns Brazilian mayors. PEC 8/2025, which provides for the new rules to take effect one year after its promulgation, carries the heaviest impact.
CNM’s estimate indicates an extra expenditure of R$ 48.4 billion for municipal coffers and the need to create 770,300 new positions to compensate for the reduced work hours.
Meanwhile, Bill 1.838/2026 presents a significantly lower cost, estimated at R$ 442 million, requiring the hiring of 7,100 new public servants. This difference occurs not only because the suggested workweek is longer (40h versus 36h), but also due to the reduced scope of professionals affected in the municipal public sector by the bill.
The “hidden” impact and management alternatives
An aggravating factor highlighted in the study is that these numbers could be even higher in practice. This is because current projections do not account for workers from outsourced companies that provide crucial services to city halls, such as security and school meals.
With the reduction of the workweek in these companies, public contracts would undergo inevitable adjustments to cover the new operational costs of the service providers.
Given this scenario, municipal managers have a limited range of options to mitigate losses:
- Staff replacement: Massive execution of new public tenders and hirings;
- Computerization: Acceleration of technology use in services that do not require physical presence;
The National Confederation of Municipalities argues that any change in the workweek must undergo a profound discussion about the financing of local entities.
With information from CDPRS
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