Brazil’s unemployment continues to fall to new seven-year low

Photo: AP

January 19 | By AFP |

Brazil’s unemployment continued to fall in the three months from September to November 2022, hitting a new seven-year low of 8.1 percent, official figures published on Thursday showed.

It is the sixth successive rolling quarter that unemployment figures have fallen, reaching the lowest figure since April 2015.

With 8.7 million people seeking employment, that is 3.7 million fewer than a year ago, the IBGE statistics institute said.

Unemployment in Latin America’s biggest economy is down 0.8 percent on the previous rolling quarter, and 3.5 percent down on the equivalent period in 2021, when unemployment sat at 11.6 percent.

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Brazil continues to recover from the economic crash caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, during which employment soared to a high of 14.7 percent in the first quarter of 2021.

The improved figures come from the end of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro’s term in office.

He was replaced January 1 by veteran socialist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who narrowly defeated Bolsonaro in October’s fractious elections.

Lula has promised to improve the spending power of the lowest paid workers and to boost social programs.

Real revenues jumped three percent compared to the previous rolling quarter and were up 7.1 percent on the equivalent period in 2021.

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But 38.8 million out of Brazil’s 215 million population work in the informal sector, mostly without an employment contract and in precarious conditions.

German president says trust in U.S. leadership is ‘lost’ amid global tensions

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Tuesday that trust between the United States and its Western allies has been “lost,” warning that the damage could persist beyond the presidency of Donald Trump.

“The rupture is very deep, and the loss of trust in U.S. great power policy is significant—not only among its allies, but also, as I observe, globally,” Steinmeier said during a speech in Berlin marking the 75th anniversary of Germany’s Foreign Ministry.

Referring to the future of transatlantic relations, he stated that “there is no return to the situation before January 20, 2025,” the date marking the start of Trump’s second term in the White House.

“Even a future U.S. administration will no longer be able to resume the role of a benevolent hegemon guaranteeing a liberal international order,” added Steinmeier, who previously served as Germany’s foreign minister.

He also criticized the war against Iran, describing it as “contrary to international law” and calling it “a political mistake with serious consequences.”

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“This war is avoidable and unnecessary,” he said.

Although the German presidency is largely ceremonial, Steinmeier’s remarks reflect a broader concern within Germany, aligning with the government’s cautious stance while going further in tone.

International

Trump claims talks with Iran as G7 meets to address global tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump said that the United States has held talks with Iran—a claim denied by Tehran—and has temporarily paused his threat to target the country’s electrical infrastructure.

In his first overseas trip since the United States and Israel launched their offensive on February 28, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to address key global issues, including the situation in the Middle East, according to State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott.

Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven will meet in Cernay-la-Ville, close to Versailles, on the outskirts of Paris.

During the meeting, Rubio will hold discussions with his counterparts on “the war between Russia and Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, and threats to global peace and stability,” Pigott said.

France currently holds the presidency of the G7, whose members also include the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Italy, and Japan.

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Although all G7 nations are close allies of the United States, none has offered explicit support for Washington’s military actions against Iran, a stance that has reportedly frustrated Trump.

Last Saturday, G7 foreign ministers called for an “immediate and unconditional end” to Iranian attacks against U.S. allies in the Middle East.

International

Pentagon to deploy 3,000 troops to Persian Gulf as Middle East tensions escalate

The Pentagon is planning to deploy nearly 3,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Persian Gulf, according to two senior officials cited Tuesday by Spanish newspaper El País.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah warned it would confront any attempt at occupation following Israel’s announcement that its military will take control of southern Lebanon up to the Litani River, located about 30 kilometers from the border.

In recent hours, the Israel Defense Forces carried out airstrikes on Beirut, while Iran and Hezbollah responded with attacks on Israel, leaving at least six people with minor injuries in Tel Aviv.

The escalation comes as global markets react to renewed instability. The price of oil rose again above $100 per barrel after a brief decline the previous day, following an announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump of a five-day truce on attacks targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure.

Despite the announcement, Iranian authorities reported that two projectiles struck a gas pipeline in Khorramshahr and administrative buildings at a gas facility in Isfahan early Tuesday.