People wearing face masks shop in Brasilia, Brazil, May 25, 2020. (Photo by Lucio Tavora/Xinhua)
Some 12.8 million people lost their jobs between February and April as a direct result of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and ensuing lockdown.
RIO DE JANEIRO, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Unemployment in Brazil rose to 12.6 percent in the three months ending in April, the highest level since January to March of 2019, when it reached 12.7 percent, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) said on Thursday.
Some 12.8 million people lost their jobs between February and April as a direct result of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and ensuing lockdown, the IBGE said.
Unemployment over the same period rose 1.3 percentage points compared to the previous three-month period ending in January, when 898,000 people lost their jobs, but remained steady compared to the same period the year before.
The number of employed people (89.2 million) dipped 5.2 percent in the three months ending in April compared to the previous three months, meaning 4.9 million fewer people were in the work force.
The number of employed decreased 3.4 percent compared to the same period the year before. In both cases, it registered record falls in employment.
At the same time, the number of discouraged workers -- those who would like to work but have given up looking -- reached a record 70.9 million people.
Earnings over the same period ending in April rose on average 2 percent compared to the previous three months and 2.5 percent compared to the same period in 2019, to reach 2,425 reals (450 U.S. dollars) a month. ■
