According to the Central dos Trabalhadores e Trabalhadoras do Brasil (CTB), citing Novo Caged data released by the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MTE) on 29 July, Brazil's construction industry created 168.962 formal jobs in the first half of 2026, making it the second-largest job generator among the five main economic sectors, behind services. The result was driven mainly by infrastructure works, which added 64.793 positions, and by building construction, which contributed 60.552 new jobs, according to the ministry's data.
The construction workforce expanded by 5,73% between January and June measured against the sector's employment stock, according to the Novo Caged release. In June alone, the sector kept a positive balance with 14.136 new formal jobs, extending a trend of monthly gains through the first half of the year.
Nationally, the formal labour market added 145.161 jobs in June, lifting the first-half total to 921.645 new formal positions, all five major economic groupings posting gains in the month. Services led with 74.514 jobs in June and 571.926 in the semester, followed by construction, industry with 143.442 semester jobs and agriculture with 40.853. Commerce was the only segment to post a negative balance for the accumulated semester, shedding 3.514 jobs, according to the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Among the states, São Paulo led job creation in the first half of 2026 with 252.558 new formal positions, ahead of Minas Gerais with 108.977 and Paraná with 69.638, per the Novo Caged figures cited by CTB.