On March 31, 2023, the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, announced the proposal for a new fiscal framework which aims to bring the fiscal deficit to zero by 2024. The proposal would limit the spending growth in each year to 70% of primary revenue over the past 12 months. Moreover, the increase in real public expenditures would be limited between 0.6% and 2.5% per year.
Employment and Labor
Employment Levels
From January 1, 2023, to February 28, 2023, formal employment increased by 0.77%, with the creation of 326,356 jobs, compared to an increase of 1.18% from January 1, 2022, to February 28, 2022, with the creation of 478,862 jobs in the period.
In the fourth quarter of 2022, the unemployment rate in Brazil was 7.90%, a decrease of 0.80% percentage points compared to the third quarter of 2022, and a decrease of 3.20% compared to the fourth quarter of 2021.
Wages
As of January 1, 2023, the minimum monthly wage for 2023 was set at R$1,302.00, representing an increase of 7.42% compared to the 2022 minimum monthly wage of R$1,212.00.
The budgetary law for 2023 (“2023 Budgetary Guidelines”) estimated a minimum monthly wage of R$1,294.00, considering the National Consumer Price Index (Índice Nacional de Preços ao Consumidor or “INPC”) at 3.30%. However, in light of an effective INPC of 5.81% in 2022, on December 12, 2022, the Federal Government enacted a provisional measure to increase the minimum monthly wage to R$1,302.00, pursuant to the Constitution of the Republic, with the aim of avoiding loss in purchase power, plus a real gain of around 1.50%.
The minimum monthly wage for 2024 is currently forecasted at R$1,337.00, representing an increase of 2.69% compared to the 2023 minimum monthly wage of R$1,302.00.
On February 16, 2023, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva confirmed that the government will raise the minimum wage to R$1,320.00 in May 1, 2023.
Social Security
On February 28, 2023, (i) the monthly benefits accumulated in the preceding 12-month period paid by the Brazilian Social Security System increased by 3.52% compared to the immediately prior 12-month period; and (ii) the Brazilian Social Security System payments increased by 4.43%, when compared to February 28, 2022 (in real terms).
Environment
On November 3, 2022, the Federal Supreme Court determined that the Federal Government should reactivate the Amazon Fund, originally created to raise funds and finance measures to protect the environment in the region. By decision of the Court, the Federal Government will have a period of 60 days to comply with the measure. The fund was created in 2008 and receives donations from international institutions and governments to finance actions to prevent and combat deforestation in the Amazon. In 2019, Germany and Norway suspended transfers to new projects after the Brazilian government presented suggestions for changing the application of resources and extinguishing collegiate fund management.
On January 31, 2023, the Federal Government published a decree that determines actions to face the emergency in public health and to combat illegal mining in the indigenous Yanomami territory. The decree authorizes the Ministries of Defense, Health, Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight against Hunger and Indigenous Peoples to take measures and mobilize resources to address the situation.
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