Deadline for re-registration of school transport ends in Divinópolis What weighs most on the budget of Brazilian families at the end of the month? In June, the three main expenses cited by the population were food, utility bills and rent or housing financing. But one item caught attention: transport started to occupy a much larger space in Brazilians' pockets compared to the same period last year. ?? Do you have any reporting suggestions? Send it to g1 The data is part of the 13th edition of the Work Quality Indicators of the FGV Ibre Labor Market Survey, released this Tuesday (14). In the survey, transport showed the biggest variation compared to the same period of the previous year. Among those who named transportation as one of the three expenses that weigh most on the budget, the percentage of respondents increased from 2% in June 2025 to 27.6% in June 2026, an increase of 25.6 percentage points. In the assessment of Rodolpho Tobler, deputy superintendent of FGV Ibre, the increase in transport among the main expenses of families is related to the increase in travel costs, especially fuel. “We had a low percentage talking about this factor [transport] last year and, now, it is one of the three biggest monthly expenses for families”, he highlights. According to the researcher, the increase is linked to the impacts of the conflict in the Middle East on the oil market. "This causes more noise and increases in fuel and transport prices, whether individual or collective. This is a factor that should still remain at a high level", he explains. According to Gustavo Assis, CEO of Asset Wealth Management, behavior follows the trajectory of consumer prices. “The transport subgroup in the IPCA remains among the most volatile, strongly influenced by fuel, public transport fares and the cost of vehicles”, he says. Closing the bills is more difficult Although 69.1% of those interviewed in the survey said they were able to pay essential bills in the last three months — April, May and June —, this percentage has been falling since February, when it was 72.4%. This means that fewer people have been able to close the month with their bills up to date. For Tobler, from FGV Ibre, the result shows that the main movement is not necessarily a drop in income, but an increase in cost pressure on family budgets. "There are two perspectives: either people are earning less or they are incurring more costs. And it seems to me that it is more of a cost pressure than a reduction in earnings", he explains. The expenses that have the greatest impact on the pocketbook According to the expert, although income growth is not at the same pace as before, the job market still remains stable. The problem is that increased spending reduces families' perception of well-being. For André Matos, CEO of MA7 Negócios, the data shows that family budgets continue to be concentrated mainly on expenses that cannot be postponed. “With 75% of families citing food as one of their biggest expenses, half citing utility bills and almost half housing, the Brazilian budget is concentrated on what cannot be postponed”, he says. Job satisfaction declines The survey also assessed workers' perception of job satisfaction. In the quarter ended in June, 64% of respondents declared themselves satisfied. The result, however, represents a drop compared to January of this year, when it was 68%. In the same period, the share of dissatisfied workers increased from 5.7% to 6.9%. Among the factors that explain dissatisfaction with work, low pay appears as the main reason cited by interviewees, cited by 57.9%. For Tobler, satisfaction is also related to the fact that income does not keep up with rising costs. According to him, the research shows that workers continue to be part of the market, but feel greater pressure on their budget. Mobility also makes improvement difficult: 41% of respondents consider it difficult to get a job in Brazil. "If the slowdown continues in the economy, people understand that the job market could worsen in this scenario. So, there is a certain caution among workers looking ahead", he reiterates. In the assessment of Matos, from MA7 Negócios, this combination reflects a market in which workers believe they are capable of finding a new source of income, but do not necessarily have a safety net. "A large portion of Brazilians work informally or on their own, and in this type of occupation, obtaining a new source of income, a side job, a service, a delivery is the most common. However, this same ease of entry is the mark of a fragile bond, without unemployment insurance, without FGTS, without a mattress", he stated. According to him, this scenario generates a double perception: confidence in the ability to find some source of income, but insecurity in the face of a possible loss of income. “It’s a market that provides ground, but doesn’t provide a network,” he said. Public transport bus in Natal (RN) Disclosure/STTU