Only 11 percent of Brazilian workers able to work remotely: ZDNet

Of the 74 million workers in Brazil in 2020, only 8.2 million (11 percent) work remotely, ZDNet reported.

Access to remote work varied widely according to location and socio-economic background, the publication reported, citing a study by Ipea researcher Geraldo Góes, who co-authored the report with Felipe Martins and José Antônio Sena Nascimento.

Almost a quarter (23.6 percent) of those employed in the Federal District of Brazilians worked remotely, while only 3.5 percent in the state of Pará, in the north of the country, telecommute, ZDNet said. Other Brazilian states with a high percentage of remote workers are Rio de Janeiro (18.7 percent) and São Paulo (16 percent), both in the southern region of the country, followed by Paraíba (12.2 percent) and Ceará (10 percent).

Those who worked remotely shared certain characteristics, the research showed. Though most employed Brazilian professionals are male, women represent more than half of all remote workers. There was also a higher percentage of white women with higher education among remote workers in all Brazilian states.

“There is a significant heterogeneity of remote workers between Brazilian states, which may be a reflection of the deep structural differences in local economies and labor markets,” Góes said.