3.3. Million Brazilians Have Been Unemployed for at Least 2 Years

A quarter of Brazil's unemployed, equivalent to 3.347 million people, has been looking for a job for at least two years, according to the National Quarterly Continuous Household Sample Survey released on Thursday (15). The survey is sponsored by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. This number is the highest for a quarter since 2012. In one year, there was an increase of 196,000 people in total job seekers for two years or more. In 2015, this total was 1.435 million people. "The proportion of people looking for work in shorter periods is decreasing, but they are growing in longer periods. Some of them may have got a job, but another has increased their search time," said research analyst Adriana Beringuy. Many of the unemployed, about 45.6%, found work within a year; 14.2%, searched between one year and two years and 14.0%, found employment within a month. For economists consulted by , the number, 3.347 million people, is concerning. "This is surprising because the unemployment rate fell between the first and second half, so it is noteworthy that long-term unemployment is increasing. This number may continue to increase," said economist Bruno Ottoni, associate researcher at FGV IBRE and consulting Idados.