According to the federal government, more than 37 million formal workers work more than 41 hours a week. The data is in a report from the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTE) released this Wednesday (24). This public can benefit from the project that foresees the end of the 6×1 scale discussed in the National Congress and that reduces the working day to 40 hours.
The data also shows that another 9.2 million work between 31 hours and 40 hours a week. In other words, according to the government, 73.7% of workers with a formal contract in Brazil are currently subject to a scale above the limit set out in the Proposed Amendment to the Constitution (PEC) approved by the Chamber in May.
The PEC that deals with the end of the 6×1 scale guarantees two days off per week for all workers by reducing the maximum working day from the current 44 to 40 hours, maintaining the current salary.
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The proposal is still awaiting processing in the Senate. According to the text, 60 days after the promulgation of the text, when it is approved in the Chamber and the Senate (next stage of processing), there will be a reduction of two hours and, within 12 months, another two hours will be reduced from the working day.
The two days off per week will come into effect 60 days after enactment, that is, when it comes into effect after being approved by Congress. Salaries above R$21,100 will not have working hours limits.
Balance of jobs
Brazil had 62.2 million active formal jobs in February 2026, including private and public sectors, a growth of 3.6% compared to the same period last year.
The data is from Rais. Unlike the General Register of Employed and Unemployed Persons (Caged), they take into account jobs generated by the public sector.
In February 2026, the balance included 48 million jobs in the private sector and 13.8 million public agents.
In terms of gender, the stock of formal jobs for women reached 28.67 million in February, an increase of 4.7% compared to 2025. As a result, the participation of women in the job market rose from 45.6% to 46.1%.
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The total number of formal jobs for men increased by 2.7% in the month compared to February last year, reaching 33.5 million jobs.
Among the regions of Brazil, there was more intense growth in the North (4.16%) and Northeast (3.27%) and Central West (2.70%). The South (2.10%) and Southeast (1.62%) regions had a lower growth than the national average (2.29%).
