Paraná industry growth beats Brazil average in production and jobs

Industrial output in Brazil's southern state of Paraná rose 0.8% in April 2026, slightly above the national increase of 0.7%. Year‑on‑year the state's production grew 1.1% versus a 0.3% rise nationwide. The strongest gains were seen in paper and cellulose (+6.5%), petroleum‑derived products and biofuels (+5.6%), rubber and plastics (+3.7%), food (+2.8%) and modest increases in automotive and furniture manufacturing (+1% each).

Employment data shows the industrial sector now accounts for 20.6% of Paraná's GDP and 21.1% of formal jobs, well above the national averages of 15.2% and 14.8%. Between 1985 and 2024 the state’s share of industrial employment grew by 4.62 percentage points, the largest increase in Brazil. High‑technology industries such as automotive, machinery, chemicals and electrical equipment expanded their employment share by 4.66 points. Total wages paid by the industrial sector rose 40.9% above inflation from 2018 to 2024, reaching R$ 217 billion annually, and the number of workers in high‑tech activities reached 210 000 in 2024, a 36% rise since 2017. Paraná ended 2025 with an unemployment rate of 3.2%, the lowest recorded by the IBGE for the state.