Women make up most of the Brazilian population, and they are also the majority among the unemployed persons. On the other hand, this group is still reduced in comparison with men in the employed population: 44.4% - or 9.4 million workers - in the six metropolitan areas investigated by Monthly Employment Survey. The income of working women with a degree is equivalent to 60% of the income earned by men with the same level of schooling. Even so, among working women, 59.9% had 11 or more years of schooling in January 2008, versus 51.9% of men. On the other hand, whereas the percentage of women with a forma employment contract was 37.8%, the number of men in the same condition reached 48.9% in 2008. These are some of the data presented in the special PME study about women in the labor market.

In January 2008, there were 21.2 million employed persons (PO) in the total of six metropolitan areas surveyed by the Monthly Employment Survey (PME) of IBGE, with 44.4% of female workers (9.4 million).  Women made up 53.5% of the Population at Active-Age (PIA), 45.5% of the Economically-Active Population (PEA) and 57.7% of the Unemployed Population (PD).

Women prevail among persons looking for a job

In January 2008, the unemployment rate among women was 10.1% and 6.2% among men. In relation to January 2003, there was decrease of the unemployment rate among men and women. Among the former, this decrease was 3.4 percentage points, and, among men, 3.2 percentage points, as shown in the graph below:  

On average, income received by women is equivalent to 71.3% of men’s income

The average income usually earned by women in January 2008 was R$ 956.80, whereas men’s income was R$ 1,342.70, in the group of six metropolitan areas surveyed by the monthly Employment Survey.Based on these results, it was observed that women receive 71.3% of the income earned by men. In the analysis of each metropolitan area, this percentage was 75.9% in Recife, 74.2% in Salvador, 65.2% in Belo Horizonte, 75.6% in Rio de Janeiro, 70.4% in São Paulo and 69.3% in Porto Alegre.

Based on data in the table below, it is possible to observe that, between 2003 and 2008, the increase of women’s income was higher in Rio de Janeiro, 16.5% (from R$ 817.20 to R$ 952.90), and lower in São Paulo, where there was reduction of 2.2% (from R$ 1,100.86 to R$ 1076.40). It is also important to mention that, in the metropolitan area of São Paulo, there were the highest figures for monthly income usually earned, both for men and for women. On the other hand, in Recife, men and women had the lowest income.

Women with a degree earn 60% of men’s income

For women who already have a higher degree, the average income usually earned was R$ 2,291.80, in January 2008; for men, this figure was R$ 3,841.40. Also in the comparison between workers who have a degree, the income of women is about 60% the income of men, showing that, despite the level of schooling, there are still big discrepancies between wages earned by both sexes.

 Among employed women, 37.8% had a formal employment contract  

In terms of the type of participation in the labor market, in January 2008, 37.8% of the women had had a formal contract in the private sector, whereas, among men, this percentage was 48.6%. In January 2003, the percentages of men and women with a formal employment contract were, respectively, 35.5% and 44.3%. 

Among Domestic workers, the figures for participation of women and men were, respectively, 16.5% and 0.7%. In the other types of participation in the job market, employed women were distributed as follows: Workers without a formal contract, 12.1%; Own-account workers, 16.9% and Employers, 3.0%.

By area, the biggest concentration of employed women with a formal contract occurred in the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre (42.4%); in the metropolitan area of Salvador, there was the biggest percentage of employed women in domestic work in January 2008 (18.9%).

Women are the majority in Domestic Services and in Public Administration

In the analysis of distribution of employed women among the different economic activities, in January 2008, it is possible to observe that 16.5% were in the group of Domestic services; 22.0% in Public administration, education, defense, security, health; 13.3% in Services rendered to enterprises; 13.1% in Industry; 0.6% in Construction, 17.4% in Trade and 17.0% in Other activities. The graphs below show the profile of female participation in economic activities in January 2003 and 2008. Among employed men, there is predominance of participation in industry, 20.0%, and, differently from women, men are more often employed in Construction, 12.0%, and have little participation in Domestic services, 0.7%.

Women still have a better level of schooling than men

Among working women, 51.3% had at least 11 or more years of schooling in January 2003, versus 59.9% in January 2008. Among men, the equivalent figures were 41.9 and 51.9%, respectively, in the months of January 2003 and 2008.

  Women prevail among women who have shorter working hours

About half of the employed men and women, 51.6% and 49.5%, respectively, work between 40 and 44 hours per week. However, in groups of 39 hours or below, the employed female population prevails, with 26.4%, versus men, with 10.1%. The opposite is observed in the group working over 45 hours per week, of which percentages were 38.2% for men, and 24.1%, for women.