Socio-occupational structure of Brazilian metropolises: what changed and what remained the same in 40 years

Abstract This article analyzes the socio-occupational structure of the main Brazilian metropolises between 1982 and 2021, focusing on their composition and on the behavior of income inequalities. We seek to answer the following questions: “What changed and what remained the same in the composition of the socio-occupational structure of Brazilian metropolises?” and “How did income inequalities appear in this socio-occupational structure in the period under analysis?” PNAD data from 1982 and PNADC data from 2021, provided by IBGE, were used. Although important changes occurred in the 40-year period, the study’s main results point to the maintenance of a social structure represented by the pyramidal model and to a reduction in income inequalities.