Brazil Union Membership Rebounds in 2024 as Labor Patterns Shift

Overview

• IBGE reports 9.1 million union members in 2024, equal to 8.9% of workers, a net gain of 812,000 from the series low in 2023.
• Total union rolls are still 36.8% below 2012’s 14.4 million, with IBGE analysts noting a strong correlation between the 2017 labor reform and the prior decline.
• Unionization is concentrated in public administration and related services, which post the highest association rate at 15.5%, while public‑sector employees reach 18.9% and higher‑educated workers 14.2%.
• Regional gaps persist as the South records the highest union share (9.8%) and the Center‑West the lowest (6.9%); Piauí remains the top state by proportion despite a 39% drop since 2012.
• Formalization advanced with 33.6% of employers and self‑employed working in CNPJ‑registered enterprises and 25.7% of the self‑employed holding CNPJ, while home‑office fell to 7.9% and vehicle‑based work rose to 4.9%.