Rate fell 1.0 percentage point in relation to November and 1.3 percentage point in relation to December 2003. The number of employees with a formal contract in the private sector rose 4.2%. The average real income of the worker fell (-1.8%) in relation to November, but recovered (1.9%) in relation to December 2003. The average unemployment rate, in 2004, remained in 11.5%, while in 2003 it was 12.3%.

UNEMPLOYED PERSONS (PD)

In December 2004, the number of unemployed persons was estimated in approximately, 2.1 millions in the six investigated areas by the IBGE’s Monthly Employment Survey. There was fall of 10.8% in relation to November and 10.1%, (approximately 232 thousand unemployed persons) in relation to December 2003.

In the analysis by areas, in relation to November, there was stability in Recife (-0.2%) and Salvador (-3.7%), and decreases in Belo Horizonte (-9.9%), Rio de Janeiro (-10.7%), São Paulo (-13.8%) and Porto Alegre (-15.3%). In the comparison with December 2004, there was stability in Recife (-7.5%), Salvador (1.8%) and Rio de Janeiro (2.1%) and decreases in Belo Horizonte (-17.1%), São Paulo (-16.2%) and Porto Alegre (-14.8%).

Women continue to be the majority of the unemployed persons: they represented 51.8% in December 2002, 54.4% in December 2003 and 56.9% in last December, the highest participation recorded in the new time series.

The level of unemployment (unemployed persons/persons of active-age-PIA) was estimated in 5.4%, with recoils of 0.7 percentage point in relation to November and 0.8 percentage point compared to December 2003.

Among the unemployed, 20.9% were searching for their first job and 25.2% were the main responsible for their family. Regarding the period of job search: 20.6% were searching for a job for less than 30 days; 41.0% for a period of 30 days up to 6 months; 12.1%, for more than six months up to 12 months and 26.3% for at least one year. While in December 2002, 38.7% of the unemployed persons had completed at least secondary school, in December 2003 this percentage amounted to 40.7% and, in the last survey, reached 43.8%.

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

The unemployment rate of December in the six areas was estimated in 9.6%, with significant variations (-1.0 and -1.3 percentage point, respectively) in relation to the rate of November 2004 (12.0%) and December 2003 (10.9%). In 2004, the average unemployment rate remained in 11.5%, while in 2003 it was 12.3%.

In relation to November, there was a significant change in three areas: Rio de Janeiro (from 9.4% to 8.5%), São Paulo (from 11.2% to 9.8%) and Porto Alegre (from 7.8% to 6.6%), and stability in the other areas. In relation to December 2004, changes were observed in Belo Horizonte (-1.9%), São Paulo (-2.0%) and Porto Alegre (-1.3%).

EMPLOYED PERSONS

The total of employed persons in the six metropolitan areas (19.4 millions), in December 2004, did not present change in relation to the previous month. In the comparison with December 2003, there was a hike of 3.2%, lower than the one observed between December 2002 and December 2003 (4.5%).

The level of employment (employed persons/ persons of active-age-PIA), estimated in 51.3%, did not change in relation to November 2004, but increased 0.7 percentage point compared with December 2003, a hike lower than the result observed in the comparison 2002-2003. The employment rate (employed persons /economically active persons), estimated in 90.4%, showed a positive change in the monthly comparison (1.0 percentage point) and presented hike of 1.3 percentage point in relation to December 2003.

Men were the majority of the employed persons in the labor market in December 2004: they represented 56.3%, while women represented 43.7%. While in December 2003 the percentage of employed persons with 11 years or more of study was of 47.2%, in December 2004 this participation increased 4.0 percentage points.

By age groups, the employed persons were distributed as follows: 0.3% in the age group of 10 to 14 years old; 2.0%, from 15 to 17 years old; 16.8%, from 18 to 24 years old; 63.2%, from 25 to 49 years old and 17.7%, from 50 years old and over. The survey showed still, that 46.0% of the employed persons worked from 40 to 44 hours per week.

Results in the main groupings of activities:

Mining and quarrying industry, manufacturing industry and distribution of electricity, gas and water

(17.7% of the employed persons). In the total of the six areas, in relation to November, there wasn’t change. In the annual comparison, the change was of 4.5% or, approximately, 149 thousand persons.

In relation to November, there weren’t changes in none of the six investigated metropolitan areas. In relation to December 2003, only Recife (11.3%) and Porto Alegre (7.6%) presented significant changes.

Construction

(7.6% of the employed persons). This grouping of activity presents stability in December 2004, in the monthly and annual comparisons, for the total of the six areas and in each area analyzed separately.

Trade, repairing of automotive vehicles and of personal and domestic objects and retail trade of fuels

(19.9% of the employed persons). Monthly and annual stability, in the total of the six areas and in each one of them analyzed individually.

Services provided to companies, rentals, real-estate activities and financial intermediation

(13.8% of the employed persons). In the total of the six areas there was stability in relation to November and change of 7.3% compared to December 2003.

Only in Belo Horizonte (-7.6%) there was change in the monthly comparison. Rio de Janeiro (7.7%), São Paulo (10.8%) and Porto Alegre (12.4%) were the areas that presented significant changes in relation to December 2003.

Education, health, social services, public administration, defense and social security

(15.1% of the employed persons). For the total of the six areas, there was stability in both comparisons. Only Recife (-6.9% in the monthly comparison) and Belo Horizonte (8.8% in the annual comparison) had change.

Domestic Services

(8.1% of the employed persons) In relation to November, in the total of the six areas, there was no significant change. Compared to December 2003, nevertheless, the change was of 11.3%.

In the monthly comparison, only in Porto Alegre (16.5%) there was change. In the annual comparison, Recife (17.7%), Salvador (15.0%), Rio de Janeiro (12.0%), São Paulo (12.7%) and Porto Alegre (13.1%) presented change.

Other services (lodging, transport, urban sanitation and personal services

(17.3% of the employed persons) In relation to November, in the total of the six areas, there was not change. In relation to December 2003, there was hike of 3.8%, due to increments of employed persons in Salvador (11.4%) and Belo Horizonte (10.4%). In the other areas, there was stability in this comparison.

Analysis by classes of workers in the labor market:

Employees WITH a formal contract in the private sector

(39.5% of the employed persons) There wasn’t significant change, in the total of the six areas, compared to November. In relation to December 2003, there was a hike of 4.2%.

Only Salvador had a significant monthly change (4.0%). In the comparison with December 2003, change was recorded in Recife (11.1%), Belo Horizonte (5.5%) and Rio de Janeiro (6.4%).

Employees WITHOUT a formal contract in the private sector¹

(16.5% of the employed persons) Monthly increase of 4.1% and annual increase of 5.5%, in the total of the six areas. Only São Paulo (7.3%) presented monthly change and only Belo Horizonte (12.5%) and Porto Alegre (20.5%) presented annual changes.

Self- employed workers

(19.8% of the employed persons) Annual change was only observed in Recife (-7.7%).

AVERAGE REAL INCOME

In December, the average real income usually earned by the workers was estimated in R$ 895.40. In relation to November 2004, regarding the six investigated areas, on the average, there was fall of 1.8%. Five metropolitan areas presented fall: Recife (-2.6%), Belo Horizonte (-2.3%), Rio de Janeiro (-1.4%), São Paulo (2.0%) and Porto Alegre (-2.7%) Salvador, by its way, presented change of 0.3%.

In relation to December 2003, there was a recovery of 1.9% in the worker’s income. Recife (4.6%), Belo Horizonte (1.0%), Rio de Janeiro (3.8%) and São Paulo (2.4%) presented rise, while the metropolitan areas of Salvador (-3.6%) and Porto Alegre (-0.8%), presented loss in the average income.

Compared to November 2004, regarding the employment position category, in the total of the six areas, there was a slight retraction (-0.3%) for the employees with a formal contract in the private sector. Also, there was fall of 6.2% for the employees without a formal contract in the private sector and fall of 2.3% for the self-employed workers.

Still in relation to the employment position categories, for the total of the six areas, in the comparison with December 2003, stability was registered in the income of the employees with a formal contract in the private sector, whose average income passed from R$ 920.38 to R$ 920.90. In the category of employees without a formal contract in the private sector, the change was of 4.9%, and the average income passed from R$ 548.84 to R$ 576.00. The category of self-employed workers showed a positive change of 0.7%, hence, the average income of this category passed from R$ 688.88 to R$ 694.00.

In relation to November 2004, the workers of the following groupings of activities presented loss in the average real income usually earned: mining and quarrying industry, manufacturing industry, distribution of electricity, gas and water (-1.0%); construction (-7.4%); services provided to companies, rentals, real-estate activities and financial intermediation (-1.4%); education, health, social services, public administration, defense and social security (-0.6%); and other services (lodging, transport, urban sanitation and personal services) (-4.9%). In trade, repairing of automotive vehicles and of personal and domestic objects and retail trade of fuels (2.4%) and in domestic services (0.4%) there was an increase in the income.

In the comparison with December 2003, there were increases in: mining and quarrying industry, manufacturing industry and distribution of electricity, gas and water (0.8%); construction (0.7%); trade, repairing of automotive vehicles and of personal and domestic objects and retail trade of fuels (8.3%); and services provided to companies, rentals, real-estate activities and financial intermediation (4.8%). On the other hand, education, health, social services, public administration, defense and social security (-1.4%), domestic services (-0.2%) and other services (lodging, transport, urban sanitation and personal services) (-3.9%) presented income falls.

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¹ Excluding private household worker, military, public and statutory servants and other employees of the public sector