Services Sector Maintains Growth Rate in March and Boosts Small Businesses

With more than 11.3 million small businesses – individual microentrepreneurs (ME), microenterprises (ME) and small businesses (EPP) – the Services sector has played a central role in the expansion of the Brazilian economy. A survey presented this Wednesday (14) by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) indicates that the volume of services provided in the country increased by 0.3% in March 2025, after rising by 0.9% in February , accumulating a gain of 1.2% in two consecutive months of positive results.

According to the Monthly Services Survey, compared to March 2024, the sector grew by 1.9%. The sum of the first three months of 2025 showed an expansion of 2.4% compared to the same period of the previous year. The balance for the last 12 months indicates an increase of 3%. The highlights in March were transportation (1.7%), professional, administrative and complementary services (0.6%) and those provided to families (1.5%).

Economy is behavior. Throughout 2024, small businesses were the great champions in generating employment and income in the country and the data shows that we are on the right track.

Décio Lima, president of Sebrae.

“The good moment in the economy stimulates consumption and brings more opportunities. This second positive result shows the market is buoyant, represents more jobs and income, and most importantly, it is the people in the budget, with inclusion”, he assures.

The sector is still the leader in job creation among small businesses. According to data collected by Sebrae based on the General Register of Employed and Unemployed Workers (Caged), the sector has already generated approximately 200,000 jobs from January to March of this year. In January, there were 34.8 thousand hires, another 134.4 thousand in February and another 30.7 thousand in March .

“These are not just numbers. These are men and women who wake up in the morning and never give up. They use their creativity to create their own businesses, ensuring the inclusion of more Brazilians and encouraging and supporting economic growth,” emphasizes Décio Lima. “This does not only mean employability, but income for the Brazilian people and inclusion. This is a country that is beginning to definitively resolve its serious problems of human wounds, which we all can no longer tolerate in Brazil, which are exclusion and hunger,” emphasizes the president of Sebrae.