The First Job And Occupational Trajectories: Young Workers In Brazil Between 2002 And 2016

The aim of this article was to analyze the impact of the first job on the occupational trajectory of young people in Brazilian metropolitan regions between 2002 and 2016. The main model estimated the probability of a young person obtaining a job of higher socioeconomic status in comparison with the first job obtained one year prior. The data used were microdata from the PME. Results indicate that the first job was predominantly in activities of lower socioeconomic status, mainly for young women, although no important differences were observed regarding the level of qualification between genders. The type of occupation taken to enter the labor market has important consequences on a person's occupational trajectory. In other words, a dependency relation was detected. This impact tended to be greater among women. The immediate policy implications are the greater need to address the quality of positions created as points of entry to the market. Current government policies, as well as new proposals, should take these results into consideration. The article offers empirical evidence of a dependency relation between the quality of the position obtained as a first job and the future trajectory of young people in the Brazilian labor market.