Women’s Inclusion and Wage Equality in Brazil: Key Findings from the 5th Salary Transparency Report
The 5th Salary Transparency and Remuneration Criteria Report, released by the Ministry of Labour and Employment in partnership with the Ministry of Women, presents important advances in the inclusion of women in the formal Brazilian labour market, while also highlighting the persistence of structural income inequalities between men and women.
The data indicate a significant increase in female participation in the labour market. The number of employed women increased by 11%, from 7.2 million to approximately 8 million, representing an increase of about 800,000 workers. This growth demonstrates an expansion of access to formal employment and may reflect both the economic recovery and the effects of public policies aimed at women's productive inclusion.
Also noteworthy is the significant increase in the participation of Black women (both Black and mixed-race), a historically more vulnerable group in the labour market. In this segment, growth was 29%, with the number of employed women increasing from 3.2 million to 4.2 million, representing approximately 1 million new female workers. This data indicates a significant movement towards inclusion, although still insufficient to overcome structural inequalities.
Another relevant aspect highlighted by the report is the increase in the number of establishments with a greater presence of Black women. The total number of companies with at least 10% Black women in their workforce reached 21,759, representing a 3.6% increase compared to 2023. This indicator suggests a slow, but continuous, diversification of the workforce in Brazilian companies.
Despite these advances in inclusion, the report shows that wage inequality increased slightly. In average income, the difference went from 20.7% in 2023 to 21.3%.
The report also highlights progress in internal policies adopted by companies between 2023 and 2025. There was an increase in the offer of flexible working hours, which rose from 40.6% to 53.9%, as well as in childcare assistance, whose incidence increased from 22.9% to 38.4%. There was also growth in the granting of extended maternity and paternity leave, from 20% to 29.9%, in addition to the expansion of the adoption of career and salary plans, from 55.5% to 66.8%, and production targets, from 63.8% to 75.7%.The proportion of companies that reported promoting women also increased, from 38.8% to 48.7%.
It is also worth highlighting the growth in the hiring of indigenous women, whose participation increased from 8.2% in 2023 to 11.2% in 2025, as well as women in situations of violence, which rose from 5.5% to 10.5%. The survey indicates that 7% of establishments report hiring women in this condition. The sectors with the highest participation in these hires are food services, surveillance and security activities, equipment repair and maintenance services, and building and landscaping services.
The report's data are mainly based on the Annual Social Information Report (RAIS) and cover approximately 53,500 establishments with 100 or more employees.
In addition to statistical data on wage inequality and women's inclusion in the labour market, the Ministry of Labour and Employment has been intensifying inspection and monitoring actions related to the implementation of Law No. 14,611/2023. Since March 2026, the largest employers in each federative unit have been notified to prove the publication of the Salary Transparency Report, with regional units responsible for defining the inspection cycle according to their institutional plans.
Monitoring the publication of reports was defined as a priority guideline for the Labour Inspection in 2026, with a national target of carrying out 1,700 inspection actions. By the end of April 2026, 291 inspection actions related to the publication of the Salary Transparency Report had already been registered.
Furthermore, in May 2026, a lecture was scheduled with a specialist from the Ministry of Labour and Social Economy of Spain on the Spanish experience in promoting wage equality, focusing on the substantive and instrumental role of the Labour and Social Security Inspection of that country.
Another relevant aspect is the technical support provided by the Ministry of Labour and Employment to the Attorney General's Office in defending the constitutionality of the aforementioned Law before the Supreme Federal Court, through the provision of technical support for actions pending before the Court.
In summary, the 5th Salary Transparency and Compensation Criteria Report demonstrates significant progress in the inclusion of women in the formal Brazilian labour market, especially among Black women, Indigenous women, and women experiencing violence, as well as the expansion of corporate policies aimed at inclusion and professional advancement.
On the other hand, the report highlights the persistence of wage inequalities between men and women, reinforcing the importance of the oversight, monitoring, and institutional strengthening actions conducted by the Ministry of Labour and Employment within the framework of the implementation of Law No. 14,611/2023, as well as international cooperation and the defence of the constitutionality of the legislation before the Supreme Federal Court.
The results presented reinforce that promoting wage equality requires continuous and coordinated action between the State, companies, and society, combining mechanisms of transparency, oversight, productive inclusion, and transformation of the historical structures of gender and race discrimination present in the Brazilian world of work.