Four hundred thousand new formal jobs have been created in Rio since 2021.

A survey by the Rio de Janeiro City Hall, based on data from the General Registry of Employed and Unemployed Workers (CAGED) of the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTE), shows that the city generated 400 new formal jobs between January 2021 and June 2026. Compiled by the Municipal Secretariat of Economic Development (SMDE), the data reveals that, on average, 6,1 new jobs with formal contracts were created per month over the last five and a half years. With this result, the stock of formal jobs in the municipality reached 2,019 million workers under the CLT (Consolidation of Labor Laws) regime.

The 400 new formal jobs created in Rio account for 48,0% of all jobs generated in the State of Rio de Janeiro during the period (833,3) and represent 4,0% of the new jobs registered in Brazil (10,1 million).

 

The service sector leads in job creation.

In the sector analysis, the service segment stood out, accounting for 74,1% of new jobs (296,6). This was followed by commerce, with 10,8% (43,2); construction, with 10,6% (42,6); and industry, with 4,4% (17,6). Agriculture represented a negligible share, with only 127 formal jobs created during the period.

– The numbers show that Rio de Janeiro is experiencing a consistent cycle of formal job creation. The creation of 400 new jobs since 2021 is the result of a more favorable environment for investment, entrepreneurship, and the expansion of economic activity. The prominence of the service sector reflects the city's vocation, but the performance of commerce, construction, and industry also deserves highlighting. Furthermore, the fact that most of these opportunities are being filled by young people demonstrates that we are expanding access to the job market and creating prospects for the new generation of Rio residents – emphasizes the Municipal Secretary of Economic Development, Osmar Lima.

Young people account for the majority of new job openings.

Young people were the main beneficiaries of job creation. Of the total jobs created, 84,8% (338,4) were for people between 18 and 29 years old. The 18-24 age group accounted for 65,4% (260,1) of the new jobs, followed by workers aged 25-29, with 19,4% (77,4). Next were the 30-39 age group (12,9%, 51,5), the 40-49 age group (9,6%, 38,3) and the 14-17 age group (5,8%, 23,2).

Men and women had a balanced participation rate.

In terms of gender distribution, 51,4% of new jobs were filled by men and 48,6% by women. Among men, the distribution of jobs was as follows: services (66,6%, 136,9); construction (16,6%, 34,1); commerce (10,8%, 22,2); and industry (6,0%, 12,4). Among women, services accounted for 82,1% of new jobs (159,6), followed by commerce (10,8%, 21), construction (4,4%, 8,5) and industry (2,7%, 5,2).

Most of the vacancies were filled by workers with a completed high school education or higher.

Regarding education, 96,8% of the vacancies were filled by workers with at least a completed high school education. Of this total, 83,0% (331,9) had completed high school, 8,9% (35,7) had completed higher education, and 4,9% (19,5) had incomplete higher education.

The data also show differences in educational profile by gender. Among women, 11,6% (22,6) of new formal jobs were filled by professionals with completed higher education, a percentage almost twice as high as that recorded among men, at 6,4% (13,1).

Micro-enterprises accounted for three out of every four jobs created.

Regarding company size, micro-enterprises accounted for 74,9% (299,8) of the jobs created during the period. Large companies accounted for 24,6% (98,6) of the jobs, while medium-sized companies accounted for 3,2% (12,9). Conversely, small businesses registered a net negative balance of 2,8%, which corresponds to a reduction of 11,3 jobs.

The complete data will be in the August edition of the Rio Economic Bulletin, available on the Rio Economic Observatory website, at the following link: economic observatory.rio.

Category:

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August 11th, 2026

Appointments: General Register of Employed and Unemployed (CAGED) signed card Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTE)