This results in employment of 265 900 people, 6.4% less than in the same period in 2020.

Haroldo Ferreira, Executive President of Abicalçados, points out that, in February alone, 8 thousand formal jobs were created in the sector: “It is an important data, which signals the recovery experienced in the last months of last year. Most likely, this is the result of restocking at retail”.  “From March, we should start to feel, in the records, the problems generated by the second COVID-19 outbreak and the consequent opening and closing of physical retail, which accounts for more than 85% of the total sales of the Brazilian footwear industry”, he added.

The region of Rio Grande do Sul continues to be the main employer in the footwear industry in Brazil, accounting for 30.8% of the total jobs generated. In the first two months, the footwear industry in the region generated 6.26 thousand jobs, closing the period with 81.9 thousand direct jobs, 11.4% less than in the same period of 2020. The second largest employer region in the sector in Brazil is Ceará: generated 1.1 thousand jobs, totalling 59.9 thousand employees, 5.1% more than in the same period of 2020. The third employer was Bahia, which generated 3.28 thousand jobs, ending the two months period employing 30.38 thousand people, 2.2% more than in the same period last year.