In relation to January (10.2%), rate increased 0.4 percentage point and fell 1.4 percentage point in relation to February (12.0%) of the previous year. The average income of the employed persons (R$ 932.90) increased 1.0% in relation to January and 2.6% in relation to February 2004. The number of workers with a formal contract increased 1.5% compared to January 2005 and 5.9% compared to February 2004. The participation of this class of workers in the employed population (PO) reached the highest level since January 2003, while its average income increased 1.2% in relation to January and fell 1.4% in relation to February 2004.

In February 2005 the rate of unemployment, on the average, of the six metropolitan areas investigated by the Monthly Employment Survey of the IBGE was 10.6%. There was an increase of 0.4 percentage point in relation to January (10.2%) and decrease of 1.4 percentage point in relation to the same month of the previous year.

In the analysis by areas, in the comparison with January, there only was a significant change in the Metropolitan Area of Rio de Janeiro (from 7.4% to 8.4%). In the comparison with same month of the previous year, only the Metropolitan Areas of Belo Horizonte (from 11.9% to 9.9%), São Paulo (from 13.6% to 11.5%) and Porto Alegre (from 8.5% to 7.1%) presented significant change.

EMPLOYED PERSONS

In February, the Monthly Employment Survey estimated in 19.4 millions the total of persons performing an economic activity in the ensemble of the six areas covered by the survey. There was stability in relation to January and increase of 3.7% in this contingent, in the comparison with February of the previous year.

Men, although being a minority in the active-age population (PIA), continued to be the majority of the employed persons in the labor market: in February 2005, they represented 56.7%, and the women, 43.3%. Regarding the population from 25 to 49 years old, they represented 64.4% of the total of the employed persons.

The survey also unveiled, that the percentage of employed persons with 11 years or more of study was 50.3% in February. It is the highest level attained since the beginning of the survey: this indicator was 46.1% in February 2003 and 48.0% in February 2004.

The Monthly Employment Survey - PME estimated in 55.9% the proportion of persons working in enterprises with 11 or more persons. In the enterprises from six to ten employed persons, this proportion was 7.1%, while in those with maximum of five employed persons, the proportion was 37.0%.

In February, 46.5% of the employed persons accomplished from 40 to 44 weekly hours of work, while approximately 35.4% worked more than 45 hours per week.

In the total of the six areas investigated by the PME, 68.0% of the workers remained in the job for a period of 2 years and over; 11.2% remained from 1 year up to 2 years; 18.6% for a period from one month up to one year and only 2.1% left the job before completing one month.

Results in relation to the main groupings of activity

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

(17.6% of the employed persons) In the total of the six areas, in the comparison with the previous month, change was not observed. In the annual comparison, the change was 3.9%, or approximately 129 thousand persons.

In relation to January, there was stability in all the areas. In relation to February 2004, only Belo Horizonte (8.4%) and São Paulo (5.9%) presented significant change.

Construction

(7.3% of the employed persons) In the total of the six areas, in the monthly comparison and in the annual comparison, there was not change. In the analysis by areas, the scenario was of stability in both comparisons.

Trade, automotive vehicle repairs, personal and domestic objects repairs and retail fuel trade

(20.2% of the employed persons) There was stability in relation to January as well as in relation to February of the previous year. In the analysis by areas, in the comparison with January, there was stability. In the annual comparison, change was observed only in Salvador (9.5%).

Services provided to companies, rents, real estate activities and financial mediation

(14.0% of the employed persons). There was stability in relation to the previous month. Compared to February 2004, the change was of 8.8%. Considering the analysis by areas, in the monthly comparison, only in Porto Alegre (10.5%) there was change, and in the comparison with February 2005 (annual comparison), only in São Paulo (13.1%) and Porto Alegre (14.4%) there was change.

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

(15.4% of the employed persons) There was stability in both comparisons for the total of the six areas. In the analysis by areas, there was a significant change only in Rio de Janeiro: 5.3% in the monthly comparison and 7.7% in the annual comparison.

Domestic services

(8.0% of the employed persons). Regarding the comparison with last January, for the total of the six areas, there was not a significant change. Compared to February 2004, nevertheless, the change was of 8.6%. In the analysis by areas, in the comparison with January 2005, there was stability. In the annual comparison, change was observed in Recife (14.5%), Salvador (16.2%) and São Paulo (12.0%).

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

(16.9% of the employed persons) For the total of the six areas, there was stability in both comparisons. In the analysis by areas, in the monthly comparison, there were changes only in Recife (-9.1%) and Salvador (-6.5%) and in relation to February 2004, in no area.

Analysis by classes of workers in the labor market

Employees WITH a formal contract in the private sector¹

(40.4% of the employed persons) A significant increase in the total of the six areas was observed: 1.5% compared to January 2005 and 5.9% compared to February 2004. In the analysis by areas, in the monthly comparison, there was change in Recife (6.1%) and São Paulo (2.4%) and in relation to February 2004, in Recife (11.7%), Salvador (7.4%), Belo Horizonte (5.7%) and São Paulo (6.8%).

Employees WITHOUT a formal contract in the private sector

¹(15.7% of the employed persons) There was fall of 3.5% in relation to January 2005 and increase of 5.7% in the annual comparison. In the analysis by areas, in the monthly comparison, there was change only in Belo Horizonte (-11.1%) and, in the annual comparison, only in the Metropolitan Areas of São Paulo (8.2%) and Porto Alegre (22.9%).

Self-employed workers

(19.4% of the employed persons) There was not any change in the total of the six areas in the monthly comparison. In the annual comparison there was a fall of 3.3%. In the analysis by areas, in the monthly comparison, there was change only in Recife (-6.3%) and Porto Alegre (-9.6%) and, in the annual comparison, in the Metropolitan Areas of Recife (-11.3%) and São Paulo (-6.9%).

UNEMPLOYED PERSONS (PD)

The contingent of unemployed persons increased approximately 109 thousand persons (around 5.0%) in the monthly comparison, for the total of the six surveyed areas, while, in relation to February 2004, there was a considerable fall: – 9.4%, or less 241 thousand persons. This scenario was significantly similar to the one of January.

In the analysis by areas, in relation to January, there were changes only in Rio de Janeiro: a considerable increase (15.1%) in the number of unemployed. In relation to February 2004, there were falls in Belo Horizonte (-16.9%), São Paulo (-13.5%) and Porto Alegre (-14.8%) and stability in the other metropolitan areas.

The major part of the unemployed persons continues to be of women: they represented 53.8% in February 2003, 57.1% in February 2004 and 57.4% in February 2005.

Among the unemployed persons, 20.5% were searching for their first job and 26.2% were the main responsible for their family. In relation to the period of search: 23.3% were searching for their job for a period lower than 30 days; 44.3%, for a period from 31 days up to 6 months; 7.3%, for a period from 7 to 11 months and 25.2% for a period of at least 1 year. In February 2003, 40.0% of the unemployed had completed at least secondary school, against 42.6% in February 2004 and 46.2% in the last survey.

REAL AVERAGE INCOME ²

In February, the real average income of the employed persons, in the six metropolitan areas investigated, was R$ 932.90. There was an increase of 1.0% in relation to January and 2.6% in relation to February 2004.

Only in the Metropolitan Area of Rio de Janeiro there was a fall (-1.1%) in the income, in relation to January 2005. Recife (3.7%), São Paulo (1.5%) and Porto Alegre (3.6%) presented recovery in the average real income of the worker, while Salvador and Belo Horizonte did not present significant changes.

In relation to February of the previous year, only in the Metropolitan Area of Salvador there was decrease (-3.6%) in the average real income of the worker. In the other areas, the scenario was of recovery: Recife (7.6%), Belo Horizonte (3.9%), Rio de Janeiro (6.2%), São Paulo (1.4%) and Porto Alegre (3.0%).

Income of classes of workers in the labor market in the monthly comparison

There was an increase of 1.2% – from R$ 935.45 to R$ 946.50 – in the income of the employees with a formal contract in the private sector. Among the employees without a formal contract in the private sector, there was a decrease (-1.7%): from R$ 625.74 to R$ 615.40. Regarding the self-employed workers, they had an increase of 1.0%, (from R$ 718.01 to R$ 729.60).

Income of classes of workers in the labor market in the annual comparison

There was a decrease (-1.4%) in the income of the employees with a formal contract in the private sector: from R$ 959.64 to R$ 946.50. Regarding the employees without a formal contract in the private sector there was an increase of 8.0%: from R$ 569.75 to R$ 615.40. Regarding the self-employed workers there was an increase of 1.6% in the average income: from R$ 722.38 to R$ 729.60.

In relation to January, a loss was observed in the average real income of the workers in construction (-3.2%) and in services provided to companies, rents, real estate activities and financial mediation (-4.5%). There was an increase in the average income of the following groupings of activities: mining and quarrying industry, manufacturing industry and distribution of electricity, gas and water (3.6%); trade, automotive vehicle repairs, personal and domestic objects repairs and fuel retail trade (0.6%); education, health, social services, public administration, defense and social security (3.3%); other services (lodging, transport, urban sanitation and personal services) (4.2%). There was stability in the income of the workers in domestic services.

In relation to February 2004, there was an increase in the average real income in: trade, automotive vehicles repairs and personal and domestic objects repairs and fuel retail trade (2.6%); services provided to companies, rents, real estate activities and financial mediation (2.3%); education, health, social services, public administration, defense and social security (4.9%); domestic services (3.6%) and other services (lodging, transport, urban sanitation and personal services) (2.1%). The grouping of construction presented decrease (-1.0%) in the average income. In the grouping of mining and quarrying industry, manufacturing industry and distribution of electricity, gas and water there was stability.

1

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

² Income usually earned