Evolution of labor income in Brazil by color or race and by regions: 2014-2019

Abstract

The aim of this study is to describe the evolution of labor income in Brazil by color or race, according to the country's regions, in the period 2014-2019. The main results found for the 2014-2019 time series show that the Southeast, South and Midwest regions had the highest average earnings, both for white and black or brown workers. During the economic crisis of 2015-2016, monthly and hourly incomes fell in all regions, and the drop in income was proportionally greater for black or brown workers than for white workers, mainly affecting the most vulnerable. In the 2017-2019 period, incomes increased in all regions. In Brazil, between 2014 and 2019, incomes decreased, showing that the increase in incomes between 2017-2019 was insufficient to replace the losses generated in the two-year economic crisis (2015-2016). For the historical series, the relative difference between the incomes of white men and black or brown men has decreased. On the other hand, the relative difference between the incomes of white women and black or brown women increased.