Female Participation in the Informal Sector in Brazil in 1996 and in 2005

Social and economic changes that happened in Brazil in the 1990s have changed theorganization of female employment in the country. In this study, I examine the participation ofwomen in the informal sector in Brazil in 1996 and 2005. Using micro-level data from theBrazilian Monthly Employment Survey, I find Brazilian female workers became older, moreeducated, and that female informal employment increased over the period studied. Although selfemploymentwas reduced, an increase in wage-employment in informal manufacturing wasnoticed, which indicates growth in subcontracting. Higher share of female headed households,lower income and higher poverty levels were predominantly found among informal sector femaleworkers. Large share of female informal work in disadvantaged conditions indicates theexistence of a dual labor market in Brazil. Globalization and the adoption of neoliberal practicesin Brazil seem to have exacerbated the underprivileged condition of working women in thecountry.