The Social Precarization of Labor and Inequalities among Workers in Brazil
Abstract
This article examines the current social precarization of labor in Brazil, its main and diverse manifestations within the broader transformations of contemporary capitalism. The central thesis is that, in this context, what intersects the power of finance, neoliberal policies, globalization, and the permanent restructuring of production is the social precarization of labor as the core dynamic of the system, both in central and peripheral countries. The first section discusses the current stage of flexible accumulation; subsequently, the historical specificities of labor precarization in Brazil are analyzed, followed by the presentation of some indicators of this precarization in the present conjuncture. From these, the article engages with intraclass inequalities and the struggle to reduce working hours in the current context.
Submitted: Dec. 16, 2025 | Accepted: Jan. 27, 2026 | Published May 21, 2026 | Language: en
Keywords Working Hours • Inequalities • Social Precarization • Labor • Brazil
Copyright © 2026 Graça Druck. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/INQ/3035-0395/2026/03/007