The rate was higher than in January (8.0%) and lower than in February 2007 (9.9%). The number of unemployed persons (2.0 million) increased by 9.1% in relation to January and fell by 9.9% in comparison with February 2007.

 The rate was higher than in January (8.0%) and lower than in February 2007 (9.9%). The number of unemployed persons (2.0 million) increased by 9.1% in relation to January and fell by 9.9% in comparison with February 2007.

The unemployed population (21.16 million) has not changed significantly in relation to January and increased by 3.6% in comparison with the result in February last year. The number of workers with a formal contract was stable in relation to January and increased by 8.4% in the year.   

The average real income of employed persons (R$ 1,189.90) increased by 1.1% in relation to January, and by 2.5% in the year. The average real household income per capita (R$ 760.08) increased 0.9% in the month and by 3.0% in the year. The volume of real income earned by the employed population (R$ 25.2 billion) fell by 21.0% in relation to December 2007 and increased by 4.7% in relation to January 2007.  

  

In February 2008, there was estimated unemployment rate of 8.7% for the group of six metropolitan areas investigated by the Monthly Employment Survey (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro. Belo Horizonte, Recife, Salvador and Porto Alegre), with increase of 0.7 percentage points in relation to January, and decrease of 1.2 percentage points in relation to February 2007.

 

By area, in the monthly comparison, there was change of this rate in Belo Horizonte, only, with increase of 1.0 percentage points. In relation to February 2007, there were decreases in Belo Horizonte (1.6 percentage points), São Paulo (1.4 percentage points) and Porto Alegre (1.9 percentage points).

 

In comparison with January, there was increase of 9.1% in the number of unemployed persons (2.0 million) in the group of six metropolitan areas surveyed. In relation to February 2007, this number was reduced by 9.9%.

 

In the analysis by area, in relation to last January, the number of unemployed persons changed only in the metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte (increase of 16.7%). In the annual comparison, there were decreases in the metropolitan areas of Belo Horizonte (14.4%), São Paulo (9.2%) and Porto Alegre (18.9%).

 

Among the unemployed, 57.7% were women, 9.1% were up to 17 years of age, 36.8% were between 18 and 24 years of age; 47.6% were between 25 and 49 years of age and 6.6% were 50 years of age or over. Besides, 21.0% had been looking for their first job and 24.8% were head of the household.

 

In February 2006, 47.8% of the unemployed had finished at least high school; in February 2007, 51.4%; in the last survey, 52.8%.

 

EMPLOYED PERSONS (PO)

 

In February 2008, the number of employed persons (21.16 million in the group of six metropolitan areas surveyed) was reduced by 0.5%, a statistically insignificant change in relation to January. In relation to February 2007, the employed population increased 3.6%, which represents about 732 thousand new jobs.

 

In relation to January, none of the metropolitan areas had statistically significant changes. In the annual comparison, Belo Horizonte (5.5%), Rio de Janeiro (2.2%), São Paulo (4.1%) and Porto Alegre (6.4%) had positive changes.

 

Men accounted for 55.9% of the employed population, whereas women, for 44.1%; the population aged 25 to 49 years represented 63.5% of the total number of employed persons; the percentage of persons with 11 years of age or over was 55.5%.

 

The size of the enterprise was another characteristic observed by the survey, according to which there was an estimated proportion of 58.2% of persons working in enterprises with 11 or more employed persons. In the enterprises with between 6 and 10 employed persons, this proportion was 6.0%, whereas, for those with at most five employed persons, the proportion was 35.8%.

 

In February 2008, 50.8% of the employed population worked from 40 to 44 hours per week, and about 31.2%, over 45 hour per week. On average, 68.6% of the workers in the six metropolitan areas surveyed had had that job for at least two years; 11.4% for between one year and less than 2 years; 18.2% for between one month and one year; only 1.7% had had that job for less than 1 month.

 

Results in comparison with the main groups of activity

 

In comparison with January 2008, the only group of activity to present significant change was Other services, with decrease of 3.7%. In comparison to February last year, the groups accounting for the increase of occupation were: Trade, repair of automotive vehicles and of personal and domestic objects and retail trade of fuels (5.1%), Services rendered to enterprises, rents, real estate activities and financial mediation (5.0%), Education, health, social services, public administration, defense and social security (5.0%) and Other services (6.1%). 

  

Type of participation in the labor market

 

Workers WITH a formal contract in the private sector (except domestic workers, military and civil servants, and others), 44.0% of the employed population - In relation to January 2008, the number of domestic workers with this type of participation in the job market was stable. In comparison with February 2007, there was increase of 8.4%.

 

In the analysis by area, in terms of the monthly comparison, there was stability in all the metropolitan areas covered by the survey. In relation to February last year, there was increase in Belo Horizonte (10.6%), São Paulo (11.4%) and Porto Alegre (10.6%).

 

Workers WITHOUT a formal contract in the private sector (except domestic workers, military and civil servants and others), 13.1% of the employed population, 13.1% of the employed population - The number of workers in this group decreased in the monthly comparison (3.5%) and was stable in relation to February 2007.

 

In the analysis by area, there was decrease in comparison with the previous month, in São Paulo (6.7%) and stability in the other metropolitan areas, in the annual comparison, two areas had negative change, Recife (14.8%) and São Paulo (9.15), whereas in Salvador, the change was positive (11.5%).

 

Military or civil servants (7.6% of the employed population) In both periods of comparison, this number of workers was stable in the group of six metropolitan areas.

 

In the analysis by area, there was comparison in the pervious month, in Porto Alegre (10.9%) and in relation to February 2007, Rio de Janeiro (11.5%) was the only metropolitan area to present decrease.

 

Own-account workers (19.1% of the employed population) In both periods of comparison, this number of workers was stable. In the analysis by area, there were no changes in the periods studied.

 

AVERAGE REAL INCOME¹

 

In February 2008, the survey estimated, for the group of six metropolitan areas, average real income usually earned by workers of R$ 1,189.90, presenting increase (1.1%) in relation to January. In comparison with February 2007, there was recovery (2.5%).

  

In the analysis by area, in relation to the previous month, there was recovery of income in Salvador (4.0%), Belo Horizonte (1.7%), São Paulo (0.9%) and Porto Alegre (3.1%). There was decrease in Recife (0.5%) and stability in Rio de Janeiro. In the annual comparison, there were increases in all the areas: Recife (1.8%), Salvador (9.4%), Belo Horizonte (1.3%), Rio de Janeiro (3.0%), São Paulo (1.3%) and Porto Alegre (6.3%). 

 

In the six metropolitan areas surveyed, the Monthly Employment Survey detected the following changes in the average real income of employed persons, by group of activity:

 

 

AVERAGE REAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME PER CAPITA

 

In February 2008, in the group of six metropolitan areas, the average real household income per capita was R$ 760.08. There was increase in relation to both the previous month (0.9%) and to February 2007 (3.0%).

 

In the analysis by area, in relation to January, there was increase of income in Belo Horizonte (0.8%), Rio de Janeiro (2.2%), São Paulo (2.6%) and Porto Alegre (0.7%). There were decreases in Recife (3.6%) and Salvador (0.4%). In comparison with February last year, there was recovery in Salvador (6.6%), Belo Horizonte (6.0%), Rio de Janeiro (4.4%), São Paulo (3.9%) and Porto Alegre (11.6%). In the metropolitan area of Recife, there was decrease (1.3%).

 

VOLUME OF REAL INCOME EARNED BY THE EMPLOYED POPULATION

 

The estimated volume of real income earned by the employed population was R$ 25.2 billion, according to the PME of February 2008 (month of reference: January 2008), for the group of six metropolitan areas. There was decrease (-21.0%) in relation to December 2007 and increase (4.7%) in relation to January 2007.

 

In relation to December 2007, there were decreases in all the six metropolitan areas: Recife (30.2%), Salvador (25.1%), Belo Horizonte (25.3%), Rio de Janeiro (18.3%), São Paulo (19.8%) and Porto Alegre (16.8%). In relation to January 2007, there were increases in five areas: Salvador (8.4%), Belo Horizonte (10.3%), Rio de Janeiro (2.6%), São Paulo (5.4%) and Porto Alegre (17.2%). Em Recife, there was stability.

 

NON-ECONOMICALLY ACTIVE PERSONS (PNEA)

 

The inactive population, not classified by the survey as either employed or unemployed, was estimated to have 17.8 million persons, in the group of six metropolitan areas surveyed. This result remained stable in the monthly comparison and increased by 1.9% in the annual comparison.

 

In the non-economically active population, women represented 63.7%, and men, 36.3%, whereas among the economically active, women made up 45.3% and men, 54.7%.

 

The population under 18 years of age and 50 years of age or over made up 30.8% and 38.3%, respectively, of the non-economically active population, but only 2.5% and 18.4%, respectively, of the PEA. 

 

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¹ Income usually earned