In May, the volume of services in Brazil fell 3.8% over April (seasonally-adjusted series). It was the sharpest negative result of the time series started in January 2011, highly influenced by the truckers' strike in the last ten days of May. In relation to May 2017 (seasonally-adjusted series), the volume of services fell 3.8%, the biggest fall since April 2017 (-5.7%). As a result, the cumulative index of the year up to May (-1.3%) had a more intense drop than in the first four months of 2018 (-0.7%).

The cumulative index in the last 12 months was -1.6%. against -1.4% in April 2018. interrupting an upward trend started in April 2017 (-5.1%).
The support material of the Monthly Survey of Services is on the right of this page.

The decrease in the volume of services was accompanied by the five activities investigated, with emphasis on transportation and support services for transportation and mailing, which pointed to the more intense retraction (-9.5%) of the time series started in January 2011. Land transportation also reached the lowest negative rate in the series (-15.0%) in May. The other negative results came from the segments of professional, administrative and complementary services (-1.3%), other services (-2.7%), information and communication services (-0.4%) and services rendered to families (-0.3%).

Still in the seasonally-adjusted series, the quarterly moving average fell 1.0% in the quarter ended in May, compared to the previous month, eliminating the 0.3% advance registered in April and reaching the most marked negative rate in the series, started in April 2011.

Among the sectors, still in the series with seasonal adjustment, transportation, support services for transportation and mailing (-3.0%) had the most intense fall of the series, after the positive variation (0.2%) of April. The other negative results came from the segments of other services (-1.3%) and professional, administrative and complementary services (-0.6%). Services rendered to families (1.4%) and information and communication services (0.3%) rose, keeping the upward trend started in February 2018.

The volume of the services sector retreated 3.8% in relation to May 2017, with negative figures in all the five released activities and in 62.0% of the 166 types of services investigated. Among the activities, transportation, support services for transportation and mailing (-7.8%) registered the major negative impact on the overall index, mostly pressed by the truckers’ strike. The other declines came from professional, administrative and complementary services (-1.4%), other services (-1.7%) and services rendered to families (-1.3%).

The cumulative index for the year fell by 1.3%, with negative rates in four of the five activities and in 58.4% of the 166 services investigated. Among the activities, information and communication services (-2.7%) had the main negative impact on the global index. The other negative influences were: professional, administrative and complementary services (-1.8%), services rendered to families (-1.5%) and transportation, support services for transportation and mailing (-0.2%). The only positive impact came from other services (2.5%).

Regional Results

Regionally, 23 of the 27 states reported a decrease in services volume in May, compared to the previous month (seasonally-adjusted series). The negative highlights were São Paulo (-2.7%), which had the most intense fall since March 2017 (-4.7%), Paraná (-8.6%), Minas Gerais (-5.0%), Rio Grande do Sul (-5.4%) and Rio de Janeiro (-1.7%). The main positive contribution was from the Federal District (1.4%), with its third consecutive high.

In relation to May 2017, the contraction in services volume in Brazil (-3.8%) was accompanied by 25 of the 27 units of the federation, with São Paulo (-1.9%), Paraná (-11.6%) and Minas Gerais (-6.7%) with the main negative impacts. Other important negative contributions came from Rio Grande do Sul (-7.2%), Bahia (-9.8%) and Ceará (-12.6%). The most important regional advance came from the Federal District (4.8%).

Special aggregate of tourism activities

The tourism activity index fell 2.4% from April to May. Nine of the twelve units of the federation had falls, with emphasis on Bahia (-4.9%). Other negative impacts came from São Paulo (-0.6%) and Rio Grande do Sul (-4.1%). On the other hand, the regional advances came from the tourism activities of Pernambuco (1.5%), Goiás (2.0%) and Ceará (0.9%). Compared to May 2017, the volume of tourism activities in Brazil increased by 1.9%, mainly driven by the increase in the services of air transportation and car rental. On the other hand, restaurants had the most important negative influence on tourism services. National tourism registers the second positive rate followed in this type of confrontation, after fourteen negative and one stable rates. In nine of the twelve states where the indicator is investigated, there has been progress in tourism services, especially in São Paulo (4.1%), with its third consecutive positive rate and the most intense since December 2016 (7.3%), . Other positive contributions came from Minas Gerais (5.5%) and from Santa Catarina (8.6%). On the other hand, the most significant negative impacts were with Bahia (-8.2%) and Rio de Janeiro (-1.9%), with the first one reporting the fourth negative rate in a row; and the second, the twenty-fifth one.