SOCIOECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF EMPLOYABILITY IN SMALL MUNICIPALITIES: A MULTIPLE-CASE STUDY IN THE RIBEIRÃO PRETO REGION

This article analyzes the socioeconomic factors that influence employability in small municipalities in the Ribeirão Preto region, focusing on Pradópolis, Jardinópolis, Pitangueiras, Pontal, and Barrinha. The research was conducted through a literature and documentary review, adopting a qualitative, descriptive, multiple-case study approach and using official secondary data from IBGE, the Ministry of Labor and Employment, Fundação Seade, and Atlas Brasil. The findings indicate that the municipalities share relatively small populations and a reliance on local economic activities, but differ considerably in their economic indicators, particularly GDP per capita. Pradópolis had the highest GDP per capita among the municipalities studied, whereas Barrinha had the lowest, revealing socioeconomic inequalities within the same region. Local employability was found to depend not only on workers’ individual qualifications, but also on economic diversification, the presence of businesses, regional mobility, public policies, and coordination between public administration and the productive sector. The study concludes that strengthening employability in these municipalities requires regional planning, vocational training, and local development strategies capable of expanding employment and income opportunities.