Unemployment rate was lower than the one of November (9.5%) and remained stable in relation to December 2005 (8.3%).  The average real income (R$ 1,072.30) increased by 0.6% in relation to November and 4.5% in relation to December 2005.

In December 2006, the reduction of 291 thousand persons in the number of unemployed persons, associated to stability in the employed population, led to a decrease of 1.1 percentage points in the rate of unemployment which, compared to December 2005 (8.3%), was stable.

In the analysis by areas, in the comparison with November, change was observed in the metropolitan areas of Recife (12.4% to 10.4%), Belo Horizonte (8.2% to 7.1%), Rio de Janeiro (7.3% to 6.5%), São Paulo (10.3% to 9.0%) and Porto Alegre (8.0% to 6.6%).  Only in the metropolitan area of Salvador there was stability.  In the comparison with December 2005, the metropolitan areas of Recife (13.9% to 10.4%) and Salvador (14.6% to 12.4%) had decrease and São Paulo (7.8% to 9.0%) registered hike.

EMPLOYED POPULATION (PO)

In December 2006, the employed population was estimated in 20.8 million persons, and did not change in the comparison with November.  In relation to December 2005, this number increased by 2.6%, or approximately more 520 thousand persons.
In the analysis by areas, in relation to November 2006, the number of employed persons did not register significant change in none of the surveyed metropolitan areas.  In the annual comparison, Recife (4.4%), Salvador (4.7%), Belo Horizonte (5.1%) and São Paulo (2.5%) had change.  In the table below it is possible to observe the employed population according to the size of the enterprise, the weekly hours of work and the time of permanence in the job.

Results in the main Groups of Activity

The employment by groups of activity, in the monthly comparison, did not have change.  Compared to the same period of 2005, there was increase only in Services rendered to companies, rents, real estate activities and financial mediation (3.7%) and Other services (3.9%).

Mining and quarrying, manufacturing industry and distribution of electricity, gas and water (17.5% of the employed population). There was stability in relation to November 2006 as well as in relation to December 2005, for the total of the six areas.  In the analysis by areas, there were no changes in none of the surveyed areas, in both comparisons. 

Construction (7.2% of the employed population). In the total of the six areas, in both comparisons, the number of employed persons in this group was stable.  In the analysis by areas, there was no change in none of the surveyed areas, in relation to November.  Compared to December 2005, Belo Horizonte increased by 11.9%.  

Trade, repair of automotive vehicles and of personal and domestic objects and retail fuel trade (19.6% of the employed population) There was stability, in both comparisons, for the total of the six areas. In the analysis by areas, there was not change, in relation to the previous month.  In the comparison with December 2005, there were changes in Recife (12.2%) and Salvador (10.2%).

Services rendered to companies, rents, real estate activities and financial mediation (14.4% of the employed population).  There was no change in the monthly comparison, but increase of 3.7% in relation to December 2005, for the total of the six areas.  In the analysis by areas, in the comparison with the previous month, there was no change in none of the surveyed areas.  In the comparison with December 2005, Salvador registered hike of 19.7%. 

Education, health, social services, public administration, defense and social security (15.2% of the employed population).  In both comparisons there was stability.  In the analysis by areas, compared to November, there was stability.  In the annual comparison, there was hike in Belo Horizonte (6.9%).

Domestic services (8.1% of the employed population) Stability in the total of the six areas, in both comparisons was observed.  In the analysis by areas, there was change only in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro: 6.9%, in relation to November and 9.6% in relation to December 2005. 

Other services (lodging, transportation, urban sanitation and personal services)(17.3% of the employed population).  Stability in relation to November and hike of 3.9% compared to December 2005, in the total of the six areas.  In the analysis by areas, in the monthly comparison, there was not change.  In relation to December 2005, there was hike in the metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte (7.1%).

Classes of worker in the labor market

Employees WITH a formal contract in the private sector (excluding domestic workers, military, statutory public servants and others) (41.6% of the employed population).  In relation to November, there was stability.  Compared to December 2005, hike of 4.4%, or more 363 thousand workers with a formal contract.
In the analysis by areas, in the monthly comparison, there was stability.  In relation to December 2005, there were hikes in Recife (6.7%), Salvador (10.0%), Belo Horizonte (5.7%) and São Paulo (6.2%).

Employees WITHOUT a formal contract (excluding domestic workers, military, statutory public servants and others) (14.4% of employed population).  There was stability in the comparison with the previous month  and decrease (-4.4%) compared to December 2005.  In the analysis by areas, in both comparisons, there was stability in all the surveyed areas.

Own-account workers (19.8% of the employed population).  Stability in the monthly comparison and hike of 5.3% in relation to December 2005 was observed.  In the analysis by areas, there was an overall stability in the monthly comparison.  In relation to December 2005, there were hikes in Salvador and Belo Horizonte (8.5%).  

UNEMPLOYED PERSONS (PD)

There was decrease (-13.3%) in the number of unemployed persons (1.9 millions) in relation to the previous month, in the total of the six surveyed areas.  In relation to December 2005, there was stability.
In the analysis by areas, in relation to November, there were decreases in five metropolitan areas:  Recife (-19.2%), Belo Horizonte (-13.9%), Rio de Janeiro (-11.6%), São Paulo (-13.7%) and Porto Alegre (-18.3%). Salvador did not have significant change.  In relation to December 2005, there were decreases in Recife (-25.4%) and Salvador (-13.3%), and hike in São Paulo (19.7%).
The following table shows the unemployed population according to sex, age, years of study, existence of previous work, condition in the family and period of search of work.

AVERAGE REAL INCOME  (1)

In December 2006, the average real income usually earned by workers (R$ 1,072.30) increased 0.6% in relation to November and 4.5% in relation to December 2005.  This hike was a consequence of the growth in the income of the own-account workers.  For the workers without a formal contract in the private sector it was observed a loss of 2.3% in the month.  In relation to December 2005, besides the gain of 4.5% observed in the income of the employed population, there was hike in the income of employees with a formal contract (4.9%) and of own-account workers (8.0%).

In relation to November, there were hikes in Belo Horizonte (0.4%), Rio de Janeiro (2.7%) and São Paulo (0.7%), and decreases in Recife (-4.4%), Salvador (-0.7%) and Porto Alegre (-1.4%).  In relation to December 2005, there were hikes in all the metropolitan areas: Recife (5.7%), Salvador (2.7%), Belo Horizonte (7.2%), Rio de Janeiro (2.7%), São Paulo (5.2%) and Porto Alegre (4.5%).

Income of classes of workers in the MONTHLY comparison

Employees with a formal contract in the private sector - Stability in the average income, estimated in R$ 1,054.10.
In Recife (0.4%), Salvador (0.6%) and Rio de Janeiro (1.7%) there were hikes.  In Belo Horizonte, São Paulo and Porto Alegre there were not changes.  

Employees without a formal contract in the private sector - Decrease (-2.3%) in the average income estimated in R$ 689.30. 
In Recife (-2.8%) and São Paulo (-5.6%) there were decreases.  In Salvador (4.0%), Belo Horizonte (3.2%), Rio de Janeiro (2.4%) and Porto Alegre (1.8%) there were hikes.

Own-account workers - Hike of 3.1% changing to R$ 904.90.
Recife (4.3%), Salvador (3.0%), Belo Horizonte (6.3%), Rio de Janeiro (1.7%), São Paulo (3.7%) registered gains.  In Porto Alegre, there were decreases (-1.3%).

Income of classes of workers in the ANNUAL comparison.

For the total of the six areas, the income of the employees with a formal contract in the private sector, estimated in R$ 1,054.10 had recovery of 4.9% in relation to December 2005.

The workers of the metropolitan areas of Recife (12.5%), Salvador and Belo Horizonte (5.0%), São Paulo (6.9%) and Porto Alegre (3.2%) had gain in the income.  The metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro had decrease (-0.6%).

For the total of the six areas, the category of employees without a formal contract in the private sector had decrease of 2.6% in the income, changing from R$ 708.02 to R$ 689.30.

The workers of the metropolitan areas of Recife, Salvador and Belo Horizonte had gain of approximately 11.0% in the income.  There were decreases in the metropolitan areas of Rio de Janeiro (-7.6%), São Paulo (-4.0%) and Porto Alegre (-3.3%).

For the total of the six areas, in the category own-account workers, income had recovery (8.0%).

In all the metropolitan areas the scenario was of recovery: Recife (1.7%), Salvador (3.3%), Belo Horizonte (12.6%), Rio de Janeiro (3.2%), São Paulo (10.9%) and Porto Alegre (12.2%).  In the table below we can observe the average income of workers by group of activity.

Notes

(1) Income usually earned