- The Data Dashboard of the Labor Observatories Network serves as a bridge between information and action to respond more effectively to labor market challenges.
- The platform brings together public data on the working-age population, unemployment rates, average income, professional qualifications, and many other indicators.
- Charts and tables consolidate the indicators in an intuitive way, making them easier to understand and allowing for different cuts and combinations to support more in-depth analysis.
Access to data is essential for designing effective public policies, guiding investments, and implementing actions aimed at productive inclusion. However, this information is not always available in an accessible way or presented in an integrated manner that allows for useful and practical comparisons for decision-making.
Brazil has a wide range of labor market data, but these data are spread across different platforms and understanding them can be complex for those without specialized technical knowledge. In response to this need, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), in partnership with the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MLE), developed the Data Dashboard of the Labor Observatories Network.
The tool draws on sources such as the Continuous National Household Sample Survey (PNAD Contínua) from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the General Register of Employed and Unemployed Workers (Caged), and the Annual Social Information Report (RAIS), the latter two from MLE. Available indicators include the working-age population, unemployment rate, formal employment rate, profile of self-employed workers, professional qualifications, average income, labor turnover, among others.
Its main added value lies precisely in the way public data are consolidated into charts and tables, with filters by gender, age group, race, education level, and sector of activity, as well as territorial breakdowns that make it possible, for example, to assess whether a capital city or municipality has informality rates above the state or national average.
In addition, the platform includes features such as an indicator glossary, detailed methodological descriptions, and information areas integrated into the charts, ensuring intuitive, transparent, and reliable navigation. The dashboard offers more than 230 types of visualizations and will be continuously updated by the MLE with the most recent data from official sources.
The Data Dashboard of the Labor Observatories Network is already becoming a reference in the national employment agenda. Presented at ministerial and academic forums and in meetings with subnational governments, it already has more than 1,000 registered users. Additionally, it has also attracted the attention of education sector managers, who see the tool as a way to strengthen the link between training and employability.
By making data understandable and accessible, the dashboard positions itself as a bridge between information and action. It also expands the practical usefulness of data and provides concrete inputs for developing diagnostics and designing policies that address labor market challenges more effectively.
For state and municipal governments, this means having a robust tool to monitor indicators, correct distortions, and plan programs targeted to specific groups and needs. Likewise, managers and technical analysts at different levels of government can better understand labor market dynamics in Brazil and translate that knowledge into tangible results for the population.
The charts not only illustrate trends but also highlight structural disparities among different social groups—an essential resource for guiding public policies focused on education, professional training, and productive inclusion. With this approach, the platform becomes a strategic instrument for data-driven public management and offers a stronger starting point for building policies with greater impact.
In addition to professionals involved in public policy design, the user-friendly navigation and interactive visual resources also serve other audiences. These includes researchers, journalists, civil society organizations, and the productive sector, who can more easily access this broad range of information.
By supporting initiatives like this one, the IDB reaffirms its role as a partner in building innovative solutions to social and economic challenges not only in the Brazilian context, but also in other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Panel model can be replicated in other contexts, integrated into labor information systems, and adapted to new thematic areas, such as education or social security.
Through initiatives that combine innovation, technology, and knowledge to guide public policy, the IDB provides technical, analytical, and convening capacity to support the development of more effective, transparent, and productively inclusive public policies, backing actors willing to develop or strengthen actions with the same purpose.
Access here all the information and data from the Data Dashboard of the Labor Observatories Network.
This text was also supported by Laísa Rachter, specialist in the IDB’s Gender and Diversity Division, and Augusto Albuquerque, economist and external product consultant for the Labor Markets team.