The participation of professionals over 50 years of age in the workforce had a gradual increase between January and November 2025, according to a survey of admissions in the commerce and services sectors carried out by the Federation of Commerce of Goods, Services and Tourism of the State of São Paulo (FecomercioSP).
Among the 5.88 million formal admissions in the period, according to data from the General Register of Employed and Unemployed Persons (Caged), the participation of these workers was 9%. In 2021, the percentage was lower, at 7%.
The majority, 48%, corresponded to workers up to 29 years old; and 43%, to people between 30 and 49 years old.
According to FecomercioSP, the service sector is the one that concentrates the highest percentage of workers with this age profileaccounting for 10% of hiring in the year to November, compared to 8% in wholesale trade.
Retail trade has a higher concentration of younger workers, with 57% of hires made up of people up to 29 years old.
Even so, the participation of workers over 50 years of age in retail trade went from 5% to 8%, when comparing the months of November 2021 and 2025. Among younger workers there was a decline from 60% to 56%.
“The increase in the presence of professionals over 50 years old in admissions is associated with the aging of the economically active population, the longer stay of these people in the market and the appreciation, by companies, of attributes such as experience, stability and lower turnover. These factors are particularly important in the Commerce and Services sectors, which face high costs associated with turnover”, says FecomercioSP.
Female participation
The study also revealed that, between January and November 2025, in the commerce and services sectors, 3.15 million women and 2.73 million men were hired.
Compared to the same period in 2021, female participation increased by 3 percentage points (pp), now representing 54% of admissions.
Saleswoman hands out fragrances to pedestrians in a store in the traditional Sahara shopping area, in the center of Rio de Janeiro – Tomaz Silva/Agência Brasil
In commerce, retail has 55% of hiring positions held by women. In terms of wholesale, men still lead, with 60%. In services, women make up 54% of the total hired.
“Greater female participation reflects structural transformations in the labor market and in Brazilian society, such as the expansion of intensive activities in customer service, sales and administrative services, in addition to the increase in women’s average education level and changes in family and social arrangements”, explains FecomercioSP.
Education
According to the data, completing secondary education is the most frequent level of training among admissions in commerce and services, accounting for 68% of hires made between January and November 2025.
Professionals who studied up to high school represent 15% of admissions, while those with higher education account for 17%. The largest proportion of professionals with higher education (20%) is in the Services sector.
“Despite a slight increase in the participation of people with a lower level of education and stability of the contingent with higher education, the numbers point to a consolidation of secondary education as the main level of education required by the market.”
“This behavior shows that employment growth occurs, mostly, in medium-skilled roles, reinforcing the importance of technical training and professional qualification policies aligned with the needs of the sectors”, highlights the entity.
Impacts, trends and challenges
For FecomercioSP, the transition in the hiring profile brings significant consequences for the sectors, requiring adaptation of people management policies, more inclusive work environments and strategies for continuous updating of skills.
This movement is also associated with a context of relative labor shortage, especially in operational and medium-skilled occupations.which has led companies to expand their potential hiring audience, with greater appreciation for more experienced workers and maintaining complete secondary education as the main level of education required.
“In addition, the structural changes in Brazilian society, marked by the greater participation of women in the labor market, the advancement of female economic autonomy and transformations in social and family arrangements, contribute substantially to the expansion of the presence of this portion of the population in admissions, mainly in commerce and services”.
