According to the August Macro Regional Bulletin, the service sector in the Northeast registered a retraction in May 2025, reversing the increase seen in April. Pernambuco recorded the worst result (-3.9%), while Maranhão (+1.0%) and Alagoas (+0.8%) remained positive. In the year-to-date, Sergipe stands out with a growth of 7.3%. 

In the job market, the unemployment rate rose from 8.6% at the end of 2024 to 9.8% in the first quarter of 2025, according to the PNAD Continuous. The employment rate fell to 48.8%, still above the previous two years but distant from the national average (57.8%). 

Despite the creation of 36.4 thousand formal job openings in June, the number was below that recorded in 2024. The slowdown was widespread across all sectors, with a negative highlight in the construction industry. This situation underscores structural challenges in the regional job market and reinforces the need for qualification and formalization policies. 

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