The Monthly Employment Survey of IBGE, carried out in the six main Metropolitan Areas of the country, shows an unemployment rate of 11.7%. It was the second consecutive decrease in the rate, which returned to the level of January 2004. The worker´s average income (R$ 886.60) increased 1.8% in comparison to May 2004 and decreased 0.5% in comparison to June 2003. The number of workers with a formal contract increased 3.2%, in comparison to June 2003. That occurred in almost all investigated areas, except for Recife.

In relation to May 2004, a significant movement in the unemployment rate was seen in the Metropolitan Areas of Salvador (from 16.2% to 14.9%) and Rio de Janeiro (from 9.6% to 8.9%). In the remaining areas, there was stability: Recife (from 13.3% to 12.8%), Belo Horizonte (from 10.9% to 10.5%), São Paulo (from 13.6% to 13.4%) and Porto Alegre (from 9.7% to 9.5%).

In relation to June 2003, just Rio de Janeiro (from 9.8% to 8.9%) and Porto Alegre (from 10.2% to 9.5%), did not post significant changes. In the other areas, the results were: Recife (from 14.9% to 12.8%), Salvador (from 17.9% to 14.9%), Belo Horizonte (from 12.1% to 10.5%) and São Paulo (from 14.5% to 13.4%).

EMPLOYED POPULATION (PO)

The number of employed persons (18.9 million) plateaued over the same level of May 2004, and its change (0.4%) was not statistically relevant. In relation to June 2003 the change was of 3.3%, or +598 thousand employed persons.

The employment-population ratio (percentage of employed persons in relation to those economically active) was of 88.3%. The comparison with June 2003 (87.0%) reveals a more favorable scenario in the labor market; the same situation was observed in the six Metropolitan Areas investigated by PME.

In June 2004, men accounted for 56.3% of the employed, and women, 43.7%. The population aged 25 to 49 remained as 62.9% of the employed. In June, the percentage of employed persons with 11 or more years of schooling was 48.4%, and 2.6% of the employed persons had been working for a time period shorter than 30 days; 20.1% for a time period from 31 days to less than a year; 10.2% from a year to less than two, and 67.1% for a period of time of two years or longer.

Mining and quarrying, manufacturing industries and those of distribution of water, gas and electricity (17.6% of the employed persons) In the May 04/June 03 comparison, the behavior seen in the total of the six areas was of stability for each one of them.

Construction (7.1% of PO) In relation to May this year (1.3%) and June 2003 (-1.7%), the changes were not statistically relevant. In the analysis by areas, there was also stability in both comparisons for almost all areas, except Recife (-12.9) and Porto Alegre (9.1%).

Trade (20.0% of PO) In the overall of the six areas and for each one of them, there was stability in relation to May 2004. In comparison to June 2003, there was movement in the total of the six areas (3.9%), particularly evidenced in the results of Belo Horizonte (9.7%) and São Paulo (7.4%). In the latter, 109 thousand workers had been hired in trade since June 2003.

Services rendered to enterprises, renting, real estate activities and financial intermediation  (13.8%) In the areas as a whole, the results remained unchanged in relation to May (1.1%). Over June 2003, there was a high of 5.8% – or +143 thousand workers, of whom 90 thousand were in São Paulo.

Education, health, social services, public administration, defense and social security (16.1% of PO) There was stability in relation to May (1.7%) for the total of the six areas, and a growth of 4.9% in relation to June 2003. The only place with a significant change in relation to May was Rio de Janeiro (5.8%). The other areas held steady, even in relation to June 2003.

Domestic services (7.8% of PO) Both in comparison to the previous months (-0.8%) and in the annual comparison (1.6%), for the total of the six areas, the changes were not statistically relevant. There was stability for almost all areas in both comparisons, except for Salvador, which posted a notable reduction (-12.4%), and Porto Alegre, where there was a rise of 15.3%.

Other services (lodging, transportation, urban cleaning and personal services) (16.8% of PO) In the total of the areas, the changes seen in relation to last year (-0.4%) and to June 2003 (2.7%) were not statistically relevant. The same happened in each one of the six Metropolitan Areas surveyed.

Workers WITH a formal contract in the private sector¹ (39.1% of PO) The change (0.2%) in relation to May was not significant. But, in comparison to June last year, there was a 3.2% rise in the number of workers with a formal contract. Among the areas, in relation to May, the only significant change occurred in Recife (-6.0%). In the comparison with June 2003, except for Recife (-3.3%), all the Metropolitan Areas kept the upward trend: São Paulo (2.6%), Rio de Janeiro (3.0%), Salvador (6.1%), Belo Horizonte (4.6%) and Porto Alegre (7.1%).

Worker WITHOUT a formal contract in the private sector¹ (16.1% of PO) There was stability in the monthly comparison for the total of the six areas and also among the areas, except for Belo Horizonte (-7.0%). In relation to last year, there was a 8.6% rise, due to the expansion seen in São Paulo.

Self-employed workers (19.8% of PO) There was stability (0.2%) in relation to May 2004 an also in the comparison with June last year (1.9%). Among the places, in the monthly comparison, only Belo Horizonte did not register stability (7.0%). In relation to June 2003, just Salvador (13.4%) and Belo Horizonte (8.1%) did not present stability.

UNEMPLOYED POPULATION (PD)

For the second month in a row, there was a drop in the contingent of unemployed persons, who amount to 2.5 million persons. The change was of -4.1% in relation to May 2004 and of -8.1% in relation to June 2003.

In relation to May 2004, despite the fact all areas were down, just in the Metropolitan Area of Rio de Janeiro the change was statistically relevant (-7.8%). In relation to June 2003, there were notable changes in Recife (-15.4%) and in Salvador (-16.6%). The other regions, statistically, were virtually stable: Belo Horizonte (-10.2%), Rio de Janeiro (-8.3%), São Paulo (-4.9%) and Porto Alegre (-4.9%).

AVERAGE REAL EARNINGS²

Estimated in R$ 886.60 (around three and a half minimum wages), the real average usual earning of the employed persons in the total of the six Metropolitan Areas grew 1.8% in relation to May this year, after falling for three months in a row. In relation to July last year, the average earnings in the six areas fell 0.5%. There were losses in the average earnings in Recife (-7.9%), Belo Horizonte (-3.0%), Rio de Janeiro (-4.9%). There were real gains in Salvador (2.8%), São Paulo (1.5%) and Porto Alegre (2.1%).

Always in comparison to May, the average real earnings of the workers with a formal contract in the private sector (R$ 923.60) grew 1.7%.  There was a 1.8% high in the earnings of workers without a formal contract in the private sector (R$ 590.50). The earnings of the self-employed went the opposite way (R$ 687.60): a 1.5% drop.

Also comparing with May 2004, there were losses in the earnings of the workers from the  mining and quarrying, manufacturing industries and those of distribution of water, gas and electricity (-1.1%). Other groups presented a positive change: construction (1.7%), trade (2.7%), services rendered to enterprises, renting, real estate activities and financial intermediation (0.4%), education, health, social services, public administration, defense and social security (3.3%), domestic services (2.2%), other services (lodging, transportation, urban cleaning and personal services) (3.0%).

In comparison with June 2003, there was a high in the earnings of the workers with a formal contract in the private sector (1.1%) and of the workers without a formal contract (3.6%), but the average real  usual earnings of the self-employed fell (-2.6%).

Also in relation to June last year, the average real earnings of the workers from construction (-10.2%), services rendered to enterprises, renting, real estate activities and financial intermediation (-6.5%), domestic workers (-0.8%), other services (lodging, transportation, urban cleaning and personal services) (-3.3%). There were gains in the groups of mining and quarrying, manufacturing industries and distribution of electricity, gas and water (3.5%), trade (3.3%) and education, health, social services, public administration, defense and social security (2.4%).

¹ Domestic workers, military, civil servants or statutory servants and other public sector workers are not taken into account.

² Real usual earnings