The unemployment rate this month was the same as that of June, the lowest one in the series. The average income of workers grew by  2.5% in relation to June and by 1.6% in relation to July 2004.

In June, the average unemployment rate of the six areas surveyed in the Monthly Employment Survey by IBGE was 9.4%, the same figure of June 2005 (9.4%) and the lowest one of the whole series. In relation to last July (11.2%),  there was fall of 1.8 percentage point.

In comparison with June 2005, there were changes only in the metropolitan area of Recife, where the rate increased from 9.6% to 12.7%. In relation to July 2004, significant changes were observed in the metropolitan areas of Belo Horizonte (from 10.7% to 8.2%), Rio de Janeiro (from 8.1% to 7.2%), São Paulo (from 12.5% to 9.9%) and Porto Alegre (from 8.9% to 7.0%). There was stability in Recife and Salvador.

UNEMPLOYED POPULATION (PD)

In July 2005, the PME detected a total of 2.1 million unemployed persons, a figure which remained stable in relation to June 2005 and fell by 15.6% in comparison with last July. Women were the majority in this group: they made up 51.9% of the in July 2002, 54.6% in July 2003, 55.5% in July 2004 and 56.9% in July 2005.

Considering the unemployed persons in July 2005, 7.4% were between 15 and 17 years of age, 38.5%, between 18 and 24, 46.9% between 25 and 49 and 6.6% were 50 or over. Moreover, 20.1% were searching for their first job and 27.1% were head of the household.

In terms of the job-seeking period, 22.9% had been looking for a job for no longer than 30 days; 43.5%, for a period of time between 31 days and 6 months; 9.6%, for a period of time between 7 and 11 months; and 24.0%, for at least a year. In July 2002, 35.5% of the unemployed persons had completed at least the secondary education, whereas the same was true for 40.3% in July 2003, 43.3% in July 2004, and 45.8% in July 2005.

EMPLOYED POPULATION (PO)

Estimated to be 19.8 million, the employed population in the six metropolitan areas investigated by PME remained stable in the comparison with June 2005, and grew by 2.3%, (445 thousand people) in relation to July 2004.

In the monthly comparison, there was stability in almost all the regions investigated, except in Belo Horizonte, where there was fall of 1.6%. In relation to July 2004, there was growth in Salvador (4.5%), São Paulo (3.3%) and Porto Alegre (3.5%), and stability in the remaining metropolitan areas.

In July 2005, men represented 56.0% of the employed population, and women, 44.0%. The population between 25 and 49 years of age constituted 63.9% of all the employed persons. The percentge of employed persons in July 2005 with 11 or more years of schooling was 50.5%.

The PME estimated that 56.2% of the working people were working for enterprises with 11 or more workers. In those enterprises with 6 to 10 employed persons, this figure was 6.5%, whereas in the enterprises with up to 5 workers, it was 37.3%.

According to the Monthly Employment Survey, 47.3% of the employed population in July 2005 worked between 40 to 44 hours per week, and about 34.0%, over 45 hours per week. On average, according to data from the survey, 67.4% of the workers, in the six areas surveyed, had had the same job for at least 2 years; 11.0% from 1 year to less than 2 years; 19.6% from 1 month to 1 year; and only 2.0% had been working for less than 1 month.

Analysis of the results in relation to the main groups of activity

Mining and quarrying, manufacturing and distribution of electricity, gas and water, 17.7 of the employed population. In the total of the six areas, in both comparisons,this group showed stabilty. In relation to June 2005, there were changes only in Rio de Janeiro, with decrease of 6.7%. In the annual analysis none of the results for the metropolitan areas presented changes.  

Construction, 7.0% of the employed population.  In comparison with June, there was decrease of 4.5%. Significant decrease as this had not been registered since January. In the annual comparison, there were no changes. In the monthly analysis, there were changes in Rio de Janeiro (-7.4%) and Porto Alegre (-10.6%), and stability in the remaining metropolitan areas. In terms of annual results, there a change only in Recife (39.7%) because of a group of about 89 thousand local construction workers, causing slight changes to result in high rates.

Trade, repair of automotive vehicles, personal and domestic objects and retail fuel trade, 19.7% of the employed population. There was stability in relation to June 2005 and to July  2004. In comparison with June 2005 there was growth only in Rio de Janeiro (4.9%). In the annual comparison, only Salvador (9.4%) and Porto Alegre (14.3%) presented growth.

Services rendered to enterprises, rents, real estate activities and financial mediation, 13.6% of the employed population. There was stability both in relation to June 2005 and to July 2004. At regional level, there were no changes.

Education, health, social services public administration, defense and social security   15.7% of the employed population. There were no significant changes in any of the six metropolitan areas. At national level, the situation was the same, the number of employed persons remained stable in both comparisons.

Domestic services, 8.4% of the employed population. In relation to June 2005 there were no significant changes. Nevertheless, in comparison with July 2004 there was a growth of about 13.0%. In the comparison with June 2005, there was stability in all the areas. In the annual comparison, There were changes in Rio de Janeiro (15.1%) and São Paulo (17.8%).

Other services (lodging, transportation, urban sanitation and personal services) 17.2% of the employed population. For the six areas, there was stability in both comparisons. At regional level, the only change occurred in São Paulo (9.7%), in the annual comparison.

Analysis of classes of workers in the labor market

Employees WITH a formal contract in the private sector [1], 40.2% of the employed population. In relation to June 2005, there was stability. In comparison with July 2004 the change was of about 5.5%, that is, approximately 417 thousand people.

In the monthly comparison, none of the areas covered by the survey presented changes. In comparison with July 2004, there were changes in Recife (9.2%), Belo Horizonte (6.2%), São Paulo (7,5%) and Porto Alegre (10.0%).

Employees WITHOUT a formal contract in the private sector , 15.5% of the employed population. This estimate remained stable in relation to June 2005 and to July 2004 as well.

At national level, in the monthly comparison, there was a change only in Salvador (8.5%). In the annual comparison, there were changes in the results for Salvador (14.8%) and Belo Horizonte (-10.0%).

Own-account workers (19.2% othe employed population). There were no changes in any of the comparisons. At regional level, there was stability, as in June 2005, in both comparisons. 

REAL AVERAGE INCOME

The purchase power of employees is still in recovery.  The survey showed that, for the group of six areas, the average real income usually earned, estimated to be R$ 968.30, increased by 2.5% in relation to June 2005 and 1.66% in the comparison with July 2004. In the monthly comparison, there was change in all the metropolitan areas investigated: Recife (4.8%), Salvador (3.3%), Belo Horizonte (1.3%), Rio de Janeiro (2.1%), São Paulo (3.0%) and Porto Alegre (0.5%). 

In the comparison with July 2004, there was recovery of the purchase power of workers in the following areas: Recife (5.1%), Belo Horizonte (4.6%) and São Paulo (2.7%), while in Porto Alegre (-4.1%) there was decrease. In Salvador and Rio de Janeiro there was stability. The chart below shows the evolution of the income by categories of employment:

The following chart shows the evolution of the average real income usually earned by workers ccording to the main groups of economic activity:

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[1]  Excluding private household workers, military, public and statutory servants and other employees of the public sector.