{"id":711,"date":"2025-05-05T22:17:24","date_gmt":"2025-05-05T22:17:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/poderemercado.com.br\/?p=711"},"modified":"2025-05-05T22:17:24","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T22:17:24","slug":"o-brasil-trabalha-muito-e-produz-pouco-o-retrato-da-estagnacao","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/poderemercado.com.br\/en\/o-brasil-trabalha-muito-e-produz-pouco-o-retrato-da-estagnacao\/","title":{"rendered":"Brazil works hard and produces little: a portrait of stagnation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Series: The Productivity Trap in Brazil \u2013 Part 2<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong>
Brazilians work on average more hours per year than their peers in Europe or the United States \u2014 but they produce much less. The reality is stark: Brazil is not at a standstill for lack of effort, but for lack of results. Stagnant productivity is the real brake on national growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An unproductive effort<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the average productivity of Brazilian workers is equivalent to only 25% of the productivity of an American worker<\/strong>. Even when compared to emerging countries, Brazil lags behind: Chile, Mexico, T\u00fcrkiye and even South Africa<\/strong> surpass Brazil in value generated per hour worked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem is structural and historical. As IPEA points out, Between 1980 and 2020, labor productivity in Brazil grew, on average, less than 1% per year<\/strong>. In other words: four lost decades. During this period, Asian countries tripled or quadrupled their rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More hours, less value<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While developed nations invested in automation, qualification and technology, Brazil maintained a labor-intensive model of low-skilled labor. The result: long working hours, low wages and little added value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the report by MSN\/Estad\u00e3o<\/em>, even when there is an increase in import of machinery and industrial goods<\/strong>, Brazilian companies benefit little from this<\/strong>. The reason? Lack of structure, technical qualification and competitive business environment to transform physical capital into real productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cBrazil spends, but does not yield.\u201d This phrase sums up the tragedy of the poor allocation of resources promoted by the statist and interventionist model that has persisted since redemocratization.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cgrowth\u201d of the PAC and the vices of the past<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Programs like the PAC (Growth Acceleration Program), relaunched in Lula's third term, promise to boost the economy through public investment. But they ignore the essential point: investment is not synonymous with productivity if there is no efficiency<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The history of these programs is clear: unfinished projects, corruption and poor allocation of capital. Without clear productivity targets, the State simply pours resources into the economy without transforming this effort into sustained growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why do we remain unproductive?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The explanation lies in a toxic mix of factors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n