Google searches reflect Brazilians' concern about their finances.

By Guilherme Levorato, 247 - Given the global economic crisis stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic and the war between Russia and Ukraine, and with the situation worsened in Brazil by the Jair Bolsonaro (PL) government, Brazilians' concern about financial matters is reflected in Google searches.

A report released by the platform shows high interest in terms such as "job openings," "minimum wage," "inflation," and "loans," for example. The data presented in the report is "normalized," meaning that "when we look at search interest in a particular topic over time, we are looking at that interest as a proportion of all searches on all topics searched on Google in that location at that time. When we look at regional interest over time, we are looking at search interest—in that topic in the chosen region—as a proportion of all searches on all topics on Google in that same location and time period. This normalization is very important: the number of people searching on Google is constantly changing—in 2004, the search volume was much lower than it is today, so raw numbers would not allow for comparison between past and present. By normalizing our data, we can extract deeper insights: comparing different time periods, different countries, and even different cities."

"Job openings"

"Google search users look for job openings and information to prepare for the job market. Jobs is the most searched word in the employment category, both in the first months of 2022 and since the beginning of the historical series in 2004. In April 2022, the unemployment rate in Brazil was 9,4%, according to the Institute for Applied Economic Research (Ipea). Furthermore, the research showed that most of the jobs created are in the informal sector and that the country had 6,4 million underemployed people and 4,2 million discouraged workers," the document highlights.

"Minimum wage" and "retirement"

Just like searches for "minimum wage," Brazilians are also showing increasing interest in "retirement." "Searches for minimum wage reached their highest level in the historical series for the period from January to June 2022. In just one year, the increase in search interest was 40%. In the world ranking, Brazil occupies the fourth position among countries with the most interest in the subject, behind only Turkey, Colombia, and Paraguay. Currently, the minimum wage is R$ 1.212. Interest in retirement has also increased. The variation was +65% when comparing the first half of 2022 with the same period in 2012, ten years ago. The search for the thirteenth salary for retirees, one of the most frequent, increased sevenfold."

"How to win..."

The informal job market has become a major attraction for the unemployed population, given the difficulty of finding jobs with formal contracts. As a result, searches for "how to earn" money with apps or social media have also increased. "Those searching for 'how to earn...' frequently also search for 'online' or the name of the social network. The search for '...to earn money' is very common alongside words like app, website, games, charm, and ideas. The question 'what to sell to earn money' hit a record high in 2021. In 10 years, searches increased by 70% when comparing the first half of 2022 to the same period in 2012."

"Inflation"

Brazilians are also seeking to understand the cause of high supermarket prices, the report suggests. "In Brazil, search interest in inflation reached its third highest level in 2022 since the beginning of Google's historical series in 2004, for the first half of the year. The years with the most searches were 2004 and 2005. The increase is 70% when comparing the first half of this year with the same period in 2021, which had also registered growth in the subject. Globally, the topic hit a record high in 2022."

"Among the most searched words in the question 'why is... so expensive', terms related to fuels and food stand out. Four of the six most searched words are fuels. Carrots and meat are the first food items to appear in the ranking," he adds.

"Hunger"

The cruelest reflection of a weak economy and poverty is hunger, and this issue is also the subject of research. "In Brazil, interest in the topic of hunger reached its highest level in the last five years in 2021. During this period, the monthly peak in searches occurred right at the beginning of the pandemic, in March 2020. Searches for basic food baskets increased fourfold when comparing 2020 to 2019. Interest in the subject remained high in the following years."

"Loan"

Another facet of the impoverishment of the people is the search for "loans": "Brazilians are searching for loans on Google like never before. This is what our survey shows, using data from the first half of each year in Brazil. Searches for loans hit a record in 2022 and were 40% higher than in the same period of 2021. In 10 years, searches on the subject have tripled. Four out of five families (77,7%) ended the month of June with some debt, according to the National Confederation of Commerce of Goods, Services and Tourism. Indebtedness was driven by credit cards, according to the survey. Google searches for credit cards hit a record in 2021. Comparing the semesters, the increase is 210% in 10 years. Interest in credit scores also skyrocketed - searches grew 22 times in the period."

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