Brazilians push for reduced working hours  

The poll, done by Nexus Pesquisa, found that 65% of Brazilians support cutting down the current 44-hour work week while only 27% said they are against the idea.

The survey spoke to 2,000 people over the age of 16 in all 27 states of Brazil between January 10 and 15, 2025. The goal was to understand how people feel about working hours and a new proposal that could change the law.

Many of those in favour said shorter hours would improve their lives. Sixty-five percent said it would give workers a better quality of life.

More than half also believed it would boost productivity. Others said it could help grow the economy and even make businesses more profitable.

When asked about the current six-day workweek system, more than half said they did not like it, but 39% thought it was a good idea.

The government is currently discussing a proposal known as the “6x1 PEC,” which would reduce the work week to just four days—36 hours total—with no pay cuts.

Sixty-three percent of those polled support this plan, suggesting that it would be a positive change for the country.

If they had more free time, nearly half of the people said they would spend it with their families. Others said they would use it to take care of their health, earn extra money, or learn new skills.

“This shows that Brazilians are looking for a better balance between work and life,” said a researcher from Nexus.