In January 2007, the seasonally adjusted rate of industrial employment relative to December 2006 was 0.3%. This change occurred after three consecutive months of negative results, a period in which there was fall of 0.6%. In comparison with January 2006, there was increase of 0.9%, with continuation of a sequence of seven positive rates. The indicator accumulated in the last twelve months (0.1%) was practically stable in relation to December last year (0.0%). In terms of the quarterly moving average, employment changed by -0.1% in the quarters ended between December and January.    

In the comparison January 2007/January 2006, the increase of 0.9% in the number of workers is a consequence, above all, of the positive results in nine of the fourteen areas and in ten of the eighteen segments surveyed. São Paulo (1.7%), the North and Central West Regions (4.3%) and the Northeast Region (2.6%) were the main positive impacts, being the main highlights the subsectors of food products and beverages (8.4%) and machinery and equipment (4.2%) in the industry of São Paulo; food products and beverages (11.2%) in the North and Central West Regions; and food products and beverages (9.4%) and petroleum refining and alcohol production (18.0%) in the Northeast Region. On the other hand, the main negative contributions came from Rio Grande do Sul (-5.0%), Minas Gerais (-0.5%) and Paraná (-0.4%). In the industry of Rio Grande do Sul, among ten falling subsectors, the main negative highlight was footwear and leather articles (-18.1%). In Minas Gerais, there was reduction of employment in ten subsectors, with apparel (-14.9%) as the main negative contribution. In Paraná, wood (-14.8%) is the highlight among the seven subsectors with reduction of the number of employed persons.

Still concerning the monthly comparison of the country rates, the main positive contributions came from food products and beverages (6.9%) metal products (3.4%) and petroleum refining and alcohol production (14.1%). The negative impacts, on the other hand, came from footwear and leather articles (-9.4%), apparel (-5.9%) and rubber and plastic (-2.3%).

In the comparison of the monthly index with the index of the fourth quarter of 2006, versus similar periods in the previous year, eight areas had higher results in January 2007. The main differences were those observed in Pernambuco, with change from 1.2% in the fourth quarter to 4.2% in January, and Rio Grande do Sul, with change from -7.0% to -5.0%.

The annualized rate, measured by the indicator accumulated in the last twelve months, had slight reduction of the growth rhythm since November last year, and reached 0.1% in January.

Number of hours paid changed by -0.3% in January

In January, the number of hours paid to industrial workers changed by -0.3% in relation to December, in the seasonally adjusted series. It was the second consecutive negative rate, with accumulated fall of 1.3%, between January and November. Even with decrease of the month/previous month comparison, the quarterly moving average indicator remained stable (0.0%), in the quarters ended in January and December.

In the comparison January 2007/January 2006, the number of hours paid changed by 0.4% (a sequence of eight of positive rates), mainly due to the contributions of nine of the fourteen areas and ten of the eighteen subsectors surveyed. In terms of subsector, the biggest increases came from food products (6.6%), petroleum refining and alcohol production (15.6%) and metal products (2.6%). On the contrary, footwear and leather articles (-10.9%) and apparel (-8.3%) were the main negative impacts.   

Still referring to the monthly comparison, the most relevant positive impacts to the national result were: North and Central West Regions (4.3%), with food products and beverages (9.1%), wood (4.0%) and means of transportation (14.0%) the main highlights; São Paulo (0.8%), with the main negative pressures resulting from food products and beverages (8.2%) and machinery and equipment (4.4%); and the Northeast Region (2.1%), with the most significant increase being food products and beverages (8.0%). The main negative contributions to the overall result were those from Rio Grande do Sul (-4.9%) and Minas Gerais (-2.1%), where the segments of footwear and leather articles (-18.5%) and apparel (-22.2%) were, respectively, the main negative impacts.

The index accumulated in the last twelve months, also with positive rate of 4.0%, remained on a upward trend, which started in September 2006.

Real payroll increased by 9.0% in January

Between December and January the real payroll indicator of people employed in industry increased by 9.0% (seasonally adjusted rate). This result was obtained after two consecutive months, in a period when there was accumulated fall of 7.4%. The quarterly moving average indicator changed by 0.3% between the quarters which ended in January and December.

In relation to January 2006, the real payroll in the industrial sector increased by 3.9%, and contributed to the increase in comparison with the last quarter of the year (2.3%).

The increase of 3.9% in comparison with January 2006 was spread among all the areas, with fall in only one of the fourteen areas surveyed. The major impact on the overall result came from São Paulo (2.0%), followed by the North and Central West Regions (10.0%), Minas Gerais (6.3%) and Rio de Janeiro (8.6%). In São Paulo, the main subsectors were food products and beverages (10.3%), machinery and equipment (6.1%) and means of transportation (2.8%). Food products and beverages (16.3%) led the expansion of the real payroll in the North and Central West Regions, whereas in the industry of Minas Gerais the main impact came from metallurgy (8.7%). In Rio de Janeiro, there was significant influence of participation in the profits of mining and quarrying industry (21.9%). On the other hand, Paraná (-1.3%) was the only state with fall of payroll, especially due to the reduction of salaries observed in the wood segment (-23.8%).

In terms of subsector, it was observed that the real payroll increased in twelve of the eighteen subsectors surveyed. The major positive impacts came from food products and beverages (10.2%), mining and quarrying industry (15.3%) and machinery and equipment (6.3%). On the other hand, chemical products (- 9.7%) and footwear and leather articles (-5.0%) were the main contributions to he overall rate.

The real payroll indicator accumulated in the last twelve months increased by 1.7%; this result was above the December rate (1.3%).