Labor productivity in industry in 2021 decreased by 4.6%, compared to 2020, considering the series without seasonal effects. The information is from the study Productivity in Industry, by the National Confederation of Industry (CNI).
According to the study, it was the biggest annual drop in the indicator of the historical series started in 2000, surpassing the loss recorded in 2008 (-2.2%), the year of the global financial crisis.
It was the second year in a row that the indicator that measures the relationship between the volume produced and the hours worked in production fell.
In 2021, adds the confederation, there was an increase of 4.3% in the volume produced and 9.3% in the hours worked in production, that is, production showed a lower growth.
According to the CNI, the drop in productivity is due to the effects of the second wave of covid-19 and the difficulties faced in the resumption of investments and production.
The CNI adds that another factor that contributed to the drop in the last year was the change in the composition of the labor market. “There was greater growth in the informal sector compared to the formal sector, which indicates the advance of occupations with low education and lower productivity,” said CNI industrial policy manager Samantha Cunha, in a note.
The CNI explains that, in the short term, the outlook is for low growth, at a level similar to those prior to the health crisis. In 2018 and 2019, productivity in the industry was below 1%. “In the long term, there can be a sustained increase in productivity with opportunities related to Industry 4.0 technologies and the development of 5G, if there are investments in innovation.”
