Positive balance was driven by industry and construction; Commerce closed 56,800 positions after year-end hiring
Brazil opened 112,334 jobs with a formal contract in January 2026, according to data released this Tuesday (March 3, 2026) by the Minister of Labor and Employment, . The result comes from 2,208,030 admissions and 2,095,696 dismissals in the month. With this, the total stock of formal jobs reached 48,577,979 active jobs in the country.
In the 12 months, between February 2025 and January 2026, the balance is positive at 1,228,483 vacancies. The number of jobs grew 2.6% in the period.
Four of the 5 major sectors recorded a positive balance in January. Industry led, with 54,991 vacancies, followed by construction (50,545), services (40,525) and agriculture (23,073). On the other hand, commerce closed 56,800 vacancies. According to the ministry, the result reflects seasonality after temporary hiring at the end of the year.
In January, 18 of the 27 Federation Units recorded more admissions than dismissals. Santa Catarina led the balance, with 19,000 vacancies. Mato Grosso opened 18,731 jobs, while Rio Grande do Sul registered 18,421. In proportional terms, Mato Grosso had the highest growth rate, at 1.9%. Santa Catarina and Goiás registered an increase of 0.7%.
On the negative side, Rio de Janeiro closed 13,009 vacancies. Alagoas lost 2,922 jobs and Ceará, 1,291.
Minister Luiz Marinho releasing Novo Caged data at the São Paulo Regional Labor and Employment Superintendence
Young people and men concentrate positive balance
The balance was positive for men, with 117,799 vacancies. Among women, there was a reduction of 5,465 positions.
By age group, young people up to 24 years old accounted for 111,805 new vacancies. Among educational levels, workers with completed secondary education registered a balance of 69,610 positions.
Average salary rises
The real average salary for admission in January was R$2,389.78. The value represents an increase of R$77.02, an increase of 3.3% compared to December. In relation to January 2025, the increase was R$41.58, or 1.77%.
Among typical workers, the average salary was R$2,428.67. Among non-typicals, the value was R$ 2,136.37.
War and the job market
Questioned by Poder360 Regarding the possible impact of conflicts in the Middle East on the generation of formal jobs in Brazil, Marinho stated that he does not see a direct relationship.
“I can’t see this relationship between war and formal employment,” he said. According to the minister, a worsening of the global scenario could affect economic activity. In this case, there would be an impact on occupation in general.
Marinho stated, however, that the behavior of formal employment depends on the performance of the Brazilian economy. “When the economy is growing sustainably, the tendency is to generate more formal jobs than informal ones,” he declared.
He mentioned that the country has around 102 million to 103 million employed people, of which approximately 48 million have a formal contract. For the minister, the strengthening of the economy and the increase in the entry salary can stimulate migration from informality to formality.
