In the seasonally-adjusted series, the services sector in Brazil grew 1.2% in September 2019 over August. In the seasonally-unadjusted series, volume of services rose 1.4% in relation to September 2018, registering the fifth non-sequential positive rate in the year. The cumulative index in the year changed 0.6%. In quarterly terms, a growth of 0.6% was reported in the third quarter this year, recording the fifth consecutive positive figure in this type of comparison. It represented a gain of dynamism over April-June 2019 (0.1%), all of them compared with the same periods last year. Having changed from 0.6% in August to 0.7% in September 2019, the cumulative index over the last 12 months posted a slight gain of pace. The complete publication of the Monthly Survey of Services - PMS is on the right side of this page.

The advance of 1.2% in volume of services between August and September was followed by four out of the five activities investigated, highlighted by the sectors of transportation, support activities for transportation and mailing (1.6%) and professional, administrative and complementary services (1.8%), the former recovering the loss of 0.7% recorded in August and the latter posting the second consecutive positive result, a cumulative gain of 2.6%. The other advances came from the sectors of services rendered to families (0.8%) and other services (0.5%), both of them partially recovering the losses reported in August: -1.7% and -2.5%, respectively. On the other hand, information and communication services (-1.0%) registered the only negative rate in September, offsetting part of the cumulative gain of 2.3% between July and August.

Still in the seasonally-adjusted series, the evolution of the quarterly moving average index for the total volume of services pointed to an expansion of 0.6% in the quarter ended in September 2019 against the previous month, the most intense rate since August 2018 (1.9%). Among the sectors, still in relation to the marginal movement of this index, the sectors of other services (0.9%) and information and communication services (0.4%) registered the most relevant positive figures this month, maintaining the upward trend started in May this year. Two other sectors also recorded positive rates in September: transportation, support activities for transportation and mailing, and professional, administrative and complementary services, both of them rising 0.5%, the former reaching the third advance in a row and the latter interrupting two consecutive drops. In contrast, services rendered to families posted the only negative rate in this type of indicator (-0.5%), maintaining the downward trend started last July.

In the comparison with the same month a year ago, volume of the services sector advanced 1.4% in September 2019, having expanded in three out of the five dissemination activities and in 48.2% of the 166 types of services investigated. It is worth highlighting that September 2019 (21) had two more business days than September 2018 (19), which contributed to process more contracts of services provision.

Among the activities, the sector of information and communication services (2.2%) exerted the most relevant positive contribution in September 2019, leveraged, to a great extent, by the increase in the revenue of the enterprises of portals, content provision and search tools on the Internet; of development and licensing of customizable computer programs; of technical support, maintenance and other IT services; and of edition associated with book printing.

The other advances came from the sectors of other services (11.0%) and professional, administrative and complementary services (2.9%), explained, to a great extent, by the increasing revenue coming from the enterprises in the sectors of brokerage firms; management of domestic sewage networks; collection of non-hazardous waste; insurance, complementary welfare and health brokers; administration of stock markets and organized counter markets; repair and maintenance of computers and peripherals, in the former sector; and of car rental; engineering services; billing and cadastral information activities; and rental of machinery and equipment, in the latter.

On the other hand, the major negative influence was the sector of transportation, support activities for transportation and mailing (-1.7%), mainly pressed by the dropping revenue of the enterprises of road transportation of cargo; shipping agency; airport operation; road transportation of passengers ; and railway transportation of cargo. The other retreat came from services rendered to families (-0.3%), mainly explained by the reducing revenue coming from the enterprises of restaurants; laundries; catering services; and language teaching.

In the cumulative index in the first nine months of 2019, over the same period in the previous year, the services sector increased 0.6%, with an expansion in three out of the five activities and in 51.8% of the 166 types of services surveyed.

Among the sectors, information and communication services (2.9%) exerted the major positive impact on the overall index, leveraged, to a great extent, by the increase in the revenue of the enterprises in the segments of web portals, content providers and other information services in the Internet, of information technology consulting, of development and licensing of customizable computer programs and of technical support, maintenance and other services in information technology.

The other advances came from other services (5.3%) and services rendered to families (3.6%), mainly explained by the increasing revenue of the enterprises in the sectors of brokerage firms; administration of stock markets and organized counter markets; insurance, complementary welfare and health brokers; collection of non-hazardous waste of domestic, urban or industrial origin; and support activities to forestry, in the former sector; and of hotels; catering services and other services of cooked food; fitness activities; and restaurants, in the latter.

Conversely, the negative influences on the cumulative index in the year of 2019 were the segments of transportation, support activities for transportation and mailing (-3.0%), followed by professional, administrative and complementary services (-0.1%), mostly pressed by the retreat in the revenue of road transportation of cargo, airport operation, road and air transportation of passengers, in the former sector; and of electronic payment solutions, surveillance and private security, general cleaning and cash transportation, in the latter.

Services grow in 14 of 27 Federation Units

In regional terms, 14 out of the 27 Federation Units expanded their volume of services in September 2019 compared with the immediately previous month, following the advance of 1.2% reported for Brazil in the seasonally-adjusted series.

Among the places with positive figures this month, the highlight was São Paulo (1.6%), followed by Rio de Janeiro (1.5%), Paraná (1.0%) and the Federal District (1.3%), with the first three completely offsetting the losses reported in August: -1.0%, -0.4% and -0.5%, respectively; and the last one recovering only partially the loss reported in the previous month (-3.1%). In contrast, the major negative figures in regional terms came from Espírito Santo (-4.4%) and Bahia (-2.2%), both of them returning part of the cumulative gain between July and August of 3.9% and 3.8%, respectively.

In the comparison with the same month a year ago, the advance of the volume of services in Brazil (1.4%) was followed by 11 out of the 27 Federation Units. The major positive contributions came from São Paulo (3.3%) and Rio de Janeiro (3.5%). It is worth highlighting that the segment of information technology exerted the most significant impact in both places.

On the other hand, the most relevant negative influences on the overall index came from Bahia (-5.6%) and Rio Grande do Sul (-2.3%), especially pressed by the sector of road transportation of cargo.

In the cumulative index between January and September 2019 over the same period in the previous year, the advance in the volume of services in Brazil (0.6%) was concentrated among the places surveyed, since only 11 out of the 27 Federation Units also expanded their real revenue of services. The major positive impact in regional terms was in São Paulo (3.2%), followed by Santa Catarina (2.0%) and Amazonas (2.9%). Conversely, Rio de Janeiro (-3.1%) recorded the most relevant negative influence on the national index.

Index of tourism activities rises 4.8%

The index of tourism activities expanded 4.8% in September 2019 over the immediately previous month, after retracting 4.5% in August. In regional terms, nine out of the 12 Federation Units followed this movement, highlighted by the advances coming from São Paulo (10.5%), followed by Rio de Janeiro (2.1%) and the Federal District (4.8%). Conversely, the major negative result came from Bahia (-3.7%).

Comparing September 2019 with September 2018, the volume of tourism activities in Brazil rose 1.0%, mainly leveraged by the increase in the revenue of enterprises of car rental. In contrast, the main negative influence on the tourism activity came from the segments of air and road transportation of passengers and restaurants. In regional terms, five out of the 12 Federation Units in which the indicator is measured registered an advance in the tourism services, highlighted by São Paulo (1.9%), followed by Rio de Janeiro (4.4%) and Minas Gerais (4.5%). On the other hand, the most important negative impacts came from Paraná (-7.6%), the Federal District (-5.9%) and Goiás (-7.2%).

In the cumulative indicator between January and September 2019, the special aggregate of tourism activities rose 2.2% over the same period last year, mostly leveraged by the sectors of car rental, hotels, and catering services and other services of cooked food. Conversely, the main negative influence came from the segment of air transportation of passengers. Regionally, eight out of the 12 places surveyed also registered positive rates, highlighted by São Paulo (5.1%), followed by Ceará (5.9%), Rio de Janeiro (1.2%) and Minas Gerais (2.0%). On the other hand, the Federal District (-7.6%), Paraná (-3.6%) and Santa Catarina (-3.4%) posted the major negative influences in the cumulative index in the year for the tourism activities.