Artificial intelligence and digitalization drive job losses in traditional professions in Brazil

Private sector loses jobs in 81 professions

A recent survey by the National Confederation of Commerce in Goods, Services and Tourism (CNC) analyzed 500 of the main private sector occupations and found that 81 of them recorded a loss of workers between February 2020 and June 2026. The study focused on activities that account for over 90% of formal jobs with a signed work contract.

Most affected professions and the extent of the decline

The largest reduction occurred in the administrative supervisor role, with 142,900 fewer jobs over the period. This was followed by administrative manager (93,900), store and supermarket manager (85,100), commercial sales supervisor (68,900), and sales manager (46,800). In retail, store and supermarket management positions shrank by 32%, while retail traders lost 23.3% of their jobs. In telemarketing, the number of supervisors and attendants fell by 41.1% over six years, as automated tools such as chatbots and AI assistants took over simpler tasks.

Impact on retail and telemarketing

The decline in physical stores is linked to the growth of digital sales and a reduction in the number of physical establishments. In telemarketing, the adoption of automated systems has accelerated the replacement of repetitive functions.

AI as a factor of transformation, not total replacement

The CNC survey highlights that artificial intelligence is not the sole reason for job losses. Digitalization and economic changes also play a significant role. Examples include bus drivers, who lost 21,600 jobs due to changes in mobility habits and remote work, and hairdressers and confectioners, whose decline is more closely linked to the growth of informal employment.

A 2025 international study by the International Labour Organization (ILO) analyzed nearly 30,000 tasks and concluded that the trend is toward the transformation of work, rather than its complete replacement by generative AI. In Brazil, an analysis by the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV) based on the Continuous Pnad identified nearly 30 million workers in occupations with some degree of exposure to generative AI in the third quarter of 2025, with 5.2 million of them at the highest level of exposure.

How the labor market is adapting

For professionals, understanding AI can mean identifying which tasks can be automated and which new skills are becoming relevant. The Ministry of Labor and Employment is developing a project that uses data from the Brazilian Classification of Occupations (CBO) and artificial intelligence to map activities susceptible to technological changes and guide qualification policies.

In practice, many functions do not disappear but undergo changes in their composition. For example, a customer service agent may stop performing simple screenings and start resolving complex cases, while AI systems generate reports and automate administrative routines.

Conclusion: a market in transition

The data indicate that the Brazilian market is undergoing transformation, with some professions shrinking and others incorporating new tools and responsibilities. Artificial intelligence is one element of this process, but its effects should be analyzed in conjunction with digitalization, changes in consumption patterns, corporate reorganization, and other economic dynamics.