Thousands of tonnes of muck released when a dam burst on November 5th in Brazil’s interior will reach the Atlantic coast tomorrow, leaving untold environmental damage in its wake. Figures published today will highlight a different quagmire: unemployment, up from under 5% last year to 7.6% in September, is expected to rise further; annual inflation is poised to hit double digits for the first time since 2003. The economy may also suffer a quarter-on-quarter drop to rival the 1.9% contraction in the three months to June (the latest monthly figure is -6.2%, year-on-year). The recession is eating into tax receipts—4.5% lower so far this year, compared with the same period in 2014. The hole in the budget may soon swell to nearly one-tenth of GDP. Mopping up the environmental mess looks daunting; fixing the economic one even more so.