Agriculture loses jobs in Brazil, but advances in São Paulo.

Agriculture was the only major sector of the Brazilian economy to register a decline in formal employment in April 2026, according to a survey by the Economic Department of the Federation of Agriculture and Livestock of the State of São Paulo (Faesp), based on data from the New Caged.

During this period, the sector recorded 97.242 new hires and 105.620 terminations nationwide, resulting in a net loss of 8.378 formal jobs. According to Faesp, this performance was mainly influenced by the end of seasonal production cycles in important agricultural crops.

The largest reduction occurred in soybean cultivation, which ended the month with a negative balance of 5.219 jobs. Apple (-2.986 jobs) and orange (-1.799) crops also registered declines, as well as beef cattle farming, which lost 1.120 formal jobs.

Conversely, some sectors saw increased hiring. Coffee cultivation led in job creation, with a positive balance of 3.163 jobs, driven by expectations of a larger harvest than the previous season. Sugarcane also showed positive results, with 1.407 new jobs, followed by egg production, which generated 350 jobs.

São Paulo going against the grain

Unlike the national scenario, São Paulo's agricultural sector ended April with a positive balance of 1.011 formal jobs. The state registered 20.174 new hires and 19.163 terminations during the period.

The main highlight was sugarcane cultivation, responsible for the net creation of 1.593 jobs, reflecting the expectation of production expansion in the 2026/27 harvest. Corn and coffee crops also contributed to the positive result, with net gains of 529 and 340 jobs, respectively.

On the other hand, orange cultivation led the job losses in the state, with a negative balance of 1.349 jobs. Services related to land preparation, cultivation and harvesting (-426) and the cultivation of ground tomatoes (-141) also registered declines.