“Valor do salário mínimo no Brasil não é suficiente para cobrir despesas básicas, aponta pesquisa”

Part of the Brazilian population believes that the current minimum wage, which will undergo a readjustment next month, is not enough to cover all of a family’s expenses, considering that the prices of products, in addition to consumption bills such as energy and water, are gradually rising and causing alarm.

A survey conducted by the Intersyndical Department of Statistics and Socioeconomic Studies (Dieese) only reinforces this notion of the population. According to the research, the remuneration value should be R$ 6,571.52, covering the expenses of a four-person family, including adults and children.

According to the Dieese, the calculation was made with the support of 2023’s basic food basket values.

The most expensive basic food basket is in São Paulo and costs R$ 782.23. It is currently representing 5.05 times the Brazilian minimum wage, which is currently R$ 1,302. This result also considered the basic needs of a family of four, based on the constitutionally established rights, including food, education, housing, and transport.

Last year, the minimum wage approved by Congress and sanctioned by then-President Bolsonaro (PL) was R$ 1,210.44. The amount was approximately five times lower than what was needed to move the country’s economy. The remuneration that would bring greater breathing room to the Brazilian budget would be R$ 6,394.76.

As mentioned, starting in May, remuneration in Brazil will undergo a readjustment. The value of R$ 1,302 will increase to R$ 1,320, which was recently announced by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In fact, increasing the value was one of the main promises to be fulfilled by the current government, which intends to increase the value’s appreciation. However, the readjustment is far from what was indicated by Dieese.

According to the research, the basic food basket compromises 55.47% of the budget of Brazilians who earn the minimum wage, without considering the value of Social Security. Cities such as São Paulo, Porto Alegre, Florianópolis, Rio de Janeiro, and Campo Grande have the highest values for basic foods, with an investment that reaches R$ 782.23.

The lowest values are in Aracaju, Recife, and João Pessoa, reaching up to R$ 546.14.

The readjustment of the minimum wage is still insufficient to cover the Brazilian family’s basic needs. According to the Dieese, the change would have to be in the order of R$ 5,000 to even reach the INPC inflation index for the last year.

The situation is worrying and requires urgent action from the government, which must seek alternatives to increase the remuneration value so that the population can have a dignified life. A higher minimum wage would be essential in moving the country’s economy, as the population would have more purchasing power, increasing consumption levels and generating jobs.

In short, the current remuneration in Brazil is not enough to meet the basic needs of a family. The minimum wage must increase much more to provide the population with better living conditions and to move the economy. The time has come for the government to take action and seek solutions to this problem that affects millions of Brazilians.