The unemployment rate for the set of the six Metropolitan Areas surveyed (7.6%) advanced 0.7 percentage points over December (6.9%) and 2.3 percentage points in relation to January 2015 (5.3%). This was the highest rate since January 2009 (8.2%). The unemployed population (1.9 million persons) also grew in both comparisons. 8.4% (146 thousand more persons) over last December and 42.7% in relation to January 2015 (562 thousand more persons looking for a job). Conversely, the employed population (23.0 million) fell both in the monthly comparison (-1.0%, or 230 thousand less persons) and in relation to January 2015 (-2.7%, or 643 thousand less persons). The number of workers with a formal labor contract (11.6 million) stayed stable in the month and decreased (-2.8%, or 336 thousand less persons) over January 2015.

The average usual real earnings of workers (R$ 2,242.90) fell in both comparisons: -1.3% in relation to December (R$ 2,273.44) and – 7.4% against January 2015 (R$ 2,421.51). The average usual real wage bill (R$ 52.1 billion), in January 2016 also fell in both comparisons: - 2.5% over December and -10.4% in the annual comparison. Conversely, the effective real wage bill (R$ 64.8 billion) in December 2015 increased 8.8% in relation to November 2015 and fell (-9.6%) against December 2014. The Monthly Employment Survey (PME) is carried out in six Metropolitan Areas (Recife, Salvador, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Porto Alegre). Its complete publication can be accesse here.

Source: IBGE, Diretoria de Pesquisas, Coordenação de Trabalho e Rendimento, Pesquisa Mensal de Emprego.

In regional terms, the monthly analysis showed that the unemployment rate over last December increased in the Metropolitan Areas of São Paulo (7.0% to 8.1%) and Belo Horizonte (5.9% to 6.9%) and stood stable in the other areas. However, in the comparison with January 2015, there was growth of the rate in all the areas: in Recife, from 6.7% to 10.5% (3.8 pp); in Salvador, the rate went from 9.6% to 11.8% (2.2 pp); in Belo Horizonte, from 4.1% to 6.9% (2.8 pp); in Rio de Janeiro, from 3.6% to 5.1% (1.5 pp); in São Paulo from 5.7% to 8.1% (2.4 pp) and in Porto Alegre, from 3.8% to 5.9% (2.1 pp).

Source: IBGE, Diretoria de Pesquisas, Coordenação de Trabalho e Rendimento, Pesquisa Mensal de Emprego.

By areas, the employed population, in relation to December, recorded increase in the Metropolitan Areas of Belo Horizonte (17.2%) and of São Paulo (15.7%); it did not record change in the other places. Compared with January last year, the only area where unemployment did not increase was Salvador. The highest increase was in Belo Horizonte (63.9%) and the lowest in São Paulo (41.7%).

The employed  population (23.0 million to the set of six areas in January 2016) fell both in the monthly comparison (-1.0%, or 230 thousand less persons) and in relation to January 2015 (-2.7%, or 643 thousand less persons).

By areas, in the month, the employed population had decrease in Belo Horizonte (-2.2%) and in Rio de Janeiro (-1.4%), remaining stable in the other places. In relation to January 2015, there was stability in Recife, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo and drops in Salvador (-6.1%), Belo Horizonte (-5.7%) and Porto Alegre (-3.0%).

In the analysis of the employed by groups of activity, for the set of six areas, from December 2015 to January 2016, there was stability in almost all groups, except Education, health, social services, public administration, defense and security (-2.8%, 111 thousand people) and domestic services (-6.4%, 93 thousand people) which presented reduction.Over January 2015, the employed population shrank in industry (-8.5%, 298 thousand people) and in other services(-3.4%, 155 thousand people). The other groups did not record significant changes. 

In January 2016, the number of workers with a formal labor contract in the private sector was estimated at 11.6 million for the six Metropolitan Areas surveyed. This figure did not change in the monthly comparison. Over January 2015, there was a reduction of 336 thousand persons with a formal contract in the private sector (-2.8%).

In regional terms, in the monthly comparison, there was stability in the contingent of workers with a formal contract in all the Metropolitan Areas. Over January 2015, Belo Horizonte (-6.9%), Recife (-6.6%), Porto Alegre (-4.3%) and Rio de Janeiro (-3.7%) recorded drops. There were no significant changes in Salvador and São Paulo.

The average usual real earnings of workers in January 2016, in the set of the six areas surveyed, was estimated at R$ 2,242.90. There was decrease of 1.3% in relation to December (R$ 2,273.44) and - 7.4% against January 2015 (R$ 2,421.51).

In relation to last December, earnings fell in Rio de Janeiro (3.1%), in São Paulo (-1.2%), in Porto Alegre (0.9%) and in Salvador (-0.7%). There were highs in Recife (1.0%) and Belo Horizonte (0.5%). Over January 2015, there were drops in the six Metropolitan Areas, and the greatest one was in Salvador (-14.0%) and the lowest in Recife (-3.9%).

The average usual real wage bill of employed persons was estimated at R$ 52.1 billion in January 2016 and fell 2.5% in relation to December. In the annual comparison, there was decrease of 10.4%. The drop in the indicator was caused by reduction of the real average earnings and of the employed population.

The average usual real wage bill of employed persons fell in the six Metropolitan Areas surveyed, with highlight for Rio de janeiro (-4.6%) and São Paulo (-2.1%). In the year, the wage bill recorded the same drop behavior in all Metropolitan Areas, and the greatest one was in Salvador (-20.0%) and the lowest in Recife (-5.3%).

The non-economically-active population (comprising people who were neither employed nor unemployed) was estimated in January 2016, for the set of the six areas surveyed, at 20.5 million persons. In the month, this indicator had a high of 1.0% and, over January 2015, grew 3.6%.

By area, in the monthly analysis, the non-economically-active population grew in Rio de Janeiro (2.5%) and remained unchanged in the other areas. In relation to January 2015, this contingent did not change in São Paulo and in Recife and grew in Salvador (11.4%), Belo Horizonte (7.8%), Porto Alegre (3.1%) and Rio de Janeiro (2.9%).