ABSTRACT
This research aimed to measure and analyze the agribusiness labor market in Minas Gerais state, to verify potential effects of the covid-19 crisis. In 2020, the population employed in agribusiness was 3.9% lower than in 2019, according to microdata by the Continuous National Household Sample Survey (PNAD-Continua) and, in a complementary way, data from the annual report on social information (RAIS) and from the Center for Advanced Studies on Applied Economics (CEPEA). All agribusiness segments, except for the primary segment, showed a decrease in the number of employed workers. The quarterly analysis shows that the biggest decreases occurred in the first two quarters of 2020 and that, although small, some recovery had been seen in the fourth quarter. The most affected job positions workers were those of workers with a formal contract, as well as those without a formal contract and the employers;however, an increase in the number of the self-employed was observed. Workers with lower instruction level were also one of the most affected groups. Creating employment generation programs in the sector, as well as programs that provide the maintenance of the employees and that afford assistance to informal workers and to those who became unemployed during the pandemic are some examples of public policies that may mitigate the negative effects of the crisis.