Distribuição de renda no Brasil entre 2002 e 2013: Redução das desigualdades entre classes?

Abstract

Since the beginning of this century, significant changes occurred in relation to the distribution of income in Brazilian society, which recently has seen reduced inequality and middle income growth. On the basis of this information, alongside economic growth, the best-known interpretation of those changes in Brazil was the one that affirmed that the Brazilian middle class was enlarging. The main objective of this article is to deepen this discussion. Through microdata from 2002 to 2013 of the National Household Sample Surveys, we look at the relationship between recent changes in income distribution and class structure in Brazil. We analyze whether it is possible to identify significant changes in income inequality across socio-occupational categories. As a result, we present evidence that, rather than growth of the middle class, it is more correct to speak of a more affluent working class.