@samuelszuchan: A federal civil servant in Brazil earns roughly 96% more than a private-sector worker with the same qualifications. That's from a 2019 World Bank study. An earlier 2007 estimate put it at 97.3%. The number has been stable for two decades. But the wage premium alone doesn't explain what's happening. You have to see the law. Article 41 of Brazil's 1988 Constitution guarantees that a civil servant appointed through a public exam acquires tenure after three years of service. Once tenured, dismissal requires a final court ruling or a formal administrative process. The annual dismissal rate runs under 1%. Combine the two and a multiple-choice exam taken correctly on one Sunday afternoon converts into a near-double salary over private sector, full retirement benefits, and a job no Brazilian recession can take away. Three years later, you are functionally unfireable. That's why 1.7 million Brazilians sat for a single exam in December 2024, competing for 3,511 postal jobs. 484 applicants per opening. Earlier that year, 2.1 million registered for 6,640 federal positions across 21 agencies. In 2006, 5 million sat for roughly 300 exams, a number that had grown 43% in six years. The Brazilian state has built the most attractive single-day lottery ticket in the country's formal economy. And every year, millions of rational people line up to buy it.

TrippyEddie :

Well, what should Brazil do to fix this?

Souricci :

I was one of these "concurseiros", it's tough, you try so many times and when you finally pass you start to hate your life because all these jobs sucks but you can't quit because it's a stable career and you know that in the private sector it's worse 😑

Nebula :

I am a concurseiro!! And most of the time it really is the best option if you have the time and resources to study for it, you get a job for life with good pay and relatively young retirement with guaranteed pay

David Muhindo :

waw, what are the subjects of the exam to be that difficult

Jay 🇺🇸 :

Why not pay less and hire more

Jordana Gabriele Per :

I was an English teacher in a good private school, but passed a concurso for an admin assistant (that doesn't even demand any kind of college diploma) two years ago. If I account in the benefits, I earn double now then I did as a teacher, a job I had to go to college for

0espo :

I am a 22 year old Brazilian, and already am working in a small city public sector, and plan on keeping trying for better positions in other cities. as kids, a regular job may seem boring, but as an adult, I need the stability and pay that the private sector is not willing to give even their best employees

Fernando Junqueir589 :

Some “concursos” pay like 1 million dollars anually or more, there is no such thing as this anywhere in the world

B :

Same in Pakistan. CSS exam.

Leleco :

Nobody study in the library. But the rest is very accurate

the stingy vegan :

It's the same in Spain.

Charles Bukowski599 :

It's so sad to know that a lot of people struggle just to get by in some parts of the world whereas others somewhere else pay thousands of dollars for a football match ticket 🥺

Rodrigo Siviero :

and the best jobs there's like 20 people making the exam 100/100, if you take a single wrong choice you are not even on the waiting list

Naldin :

Doesn't future rhymes with tenure? How come? Not when it comes to pronunciation, though.

🍋 :

wild

Bernardo :

I’m not a concurseiro but it’s fun to watch someone else describing

laczek :

Liquid :

There are competitive exams that completely change people's lives, such as judge, notary, police chief, diplomat, and federal police officer. These exams attract the majority of those “concurseiros”

the funny mareşal :

Considering to be a gov’t employee was a really good option in Turkey. For the last 1-2 years, this became the only option.

user6181590116561 :

This is the problem with post-industrial economies.

Odelbar :

What's it called when you do this with startups?

laczek :

callejera :

as a government employee in a city in the US. I think this is great. some cities do require a test. others don't. but we have unions and once you are hired it's very difficult to get fired. so I think it's great that they have tough requirements as you want the best. also since we have good benefits .. people don't leave. so it's really hard to move up as you are genuinely waiting for someone above you to retire.