Data released by the Ministry of Labor and Employment show that 255,321 formal jobs were created in February. The indicator measures the difference between hires and layoffs.

The net figure is higher than in January, when the country created 115,018 jobs.

Notícias relacionadas:

• Brazil’s labor informality rate falls.
• Unemployment up to 5.8% in February, still the lowest for the quarter.

Job creation fell 42 percent compared to February of last year, driven by high interest rates and the economic slowdown. In the same month in 2025, 440,432 jobs were created, according to adjusted data that account for late filings by employers.

Cumulative figures

In January and February, there was a 37.8 percent drop in the cumulative number of formal jobs. There were 370,339 in the first two months of 2026, compared to 594,953 in the same period in 2025.

The data include adjustments, as the Ministry of Labor records late submissions by employers and revises figures from previous months.

Sectors

When broken down by industry, all five sectors surveyed reported formal job growth in February:

• Services: 177,953 jobs
• Manufacturing: 32,027 jobs
• Construction: 31,099 jobs
• Agriculture and Livestock: 8,123 jobs
• Retail: 6,127 jobs

Traditionally, February is a slow month for retail, as the sector recovers from the end of temporary Christmas contracts.

Formal employment

With the creation of formal jobs, the number of formally employed workers reached 48,837,602 at the end of February, up 0.53 percent from January and 2.19 percent from the same month last year.

A formal employment contract guarantees the rights provided under labor law, such as 30 days of paid vacation per year, a monthly meal allowance, and unemployment insurance.