In March 2008 there were 4.1 million own-account workers in the six metropolitan areas covered by the Monthly Employment Survey of the IBGE...

 

 

In March 2008 there were 4.1 million own-account workers in the six metropolitan areas covered by the Monthly Employment Survey of the IBGE.  They represented 19.2% of the employed population, were mainly men (60.8%), worked 41.3 hours per week and 32.5% among them had 50 years old or more.

 

Their average income was R$ 1,013.50, but 70% among them earned less than two minimum wages per month.  Working mainly in Trade (28.3%) and in Construction (17.5%), only one among five workers contributed for social security.

 

Following, the main information about own-account workers and also, about two of the most common activities of this class of workers in the labor market: salesman and mason.

 

In March 2008, in the six metropolitan area (1) covered by the Monthly Employment Survey, there were 4.1 own-account million workers, which represented 19.2% of the employed population (21.3 million workers).  An own-account worker explores his or her own business, alone or with a partner, without having an employee and having or not, help from a member of the household unit in which he or she lives as a non-remunerated worker.

 

Between March 2002 and March 2008, the growth of this number of workers was 22.3%.  In Recife the percentage reached 7.8%, in Salvador 25.9%, in Belo Horizonte 16.7%, in Rio de Janeiro 19.2%, in São Paulo 30.7% and in Porto Alegre 15.1%.  However, the relative participation of this number in the total employed persons in the six surveyed areas remained 19.2%, in the same period.

 

 

 

 

 

Among the total own-account workers, 54.5% were white and 44.5% were black and brown.  Men were the majority in this category of workers (60.8%).  Although the women’s participation was lower (39.2%), it grew in all the metropolitan areas, since 2002, and Salvador had the major participation of own-account women (42.2%).

 

Among the own-account workers prevailed the levels of instruction non-completed elementary instruction and completed secondary instruction, with higher education level having a lower participation.
 

In relation to the period of permanence in the job, it could be observed that 81.1% of the own-account workers were for two years or more in this category of workers.

 

The own-account workers were concentrated mainly in the groups of: trade, repair of automotive vehicles and of personal and domestic objects and retail fuel trade (28.3%), other services (24.7%) and construction (17.5%).  It was registered a small participation in the groups related to education, health, social services, public administration, defense and social security.
 

In the sum of the six metropolitan areas, only one among five own-account workers (20.7%) contributed for social security: the average income was R$ 1,920.80, while the one of those which did not contribute was estimated in R$ 776.40.
 

The younger groups of age are less numerous in this class of workers, which had its major participation in the group from 50 to 59 years old (22.4%).  In the total employed population, the percentage of workers in this same age group was 14.5%.  As we may see in the graph below, the own-account workers with 40 years old or more represented 60.8% of this class of workers, while the participation of this age group in the total employed population was 42.8%.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The average weekly hours worked by own-account workers was estimated in 41.3 hours.  This estimate was close to the one observed for the employed population (41.5 hours).

 

The average income of own-account workers was R$ 1,013.50.  Approximately 70.0% of own-account workers earned less than 2 minimum salaries.  The income of own-account women workers in the six surveyed areas was lower than the one of men in 32.7%, while in the employed population this difference was 29%.  The own-account workers of brown and black color earned 49.8% less than whites.  In the employed population this difference was 48.2%.
 

Salesmen and masons prevailed in the own-account category of workers.  It is high the percentage of own-account workers in the activities of construction (17.5%) and trade (28.3%).  Hence, in this study the employment of salesmen and masons was highlighted.

 

Among the 4.1 million own-account workers in the total metropolitan areas surveyed by the Monthly Employment Survey, 1.6 million were in the group of Construction (2). Among these, 651 thousand worked as masons.

 

Among the 4.1 million workers that the segment of trade (3) employed in March 2008, 1.1 million were own-account workers, and among these, 532 thousand were salesmen.  In the segment of trade, the workers which belonged to the sub-group “street vendors” summed 624 thousand persons, 532 thousand persons were own-account workers and the other 92 thousand (14.8%) were employees.

 

Almost 60% of the masons were black or brown and 71.6% had 35 years old or more.

In the total six metropolitan areas surveyed by the Monthly Employment Survey, the workers who worked as own-account masons represented 15.9% of the total own-account workers in March 2008.
 

The metropolitan areas with the highest percentages of own-account workers in construction, working as masons were: Salvador (17.2%); São Paulo (18.8%), Porto Alegre (20.2%) and Belo Horizonte (17.9%).  The lowest percentages of own-account workers in construction employed as masons were in Recife (8.8%) and Rio de Janeiro (11.9%).

 

In March 2008, almost the totality of masons was composed by men (99.6%).  The majority of masons (43.7%) were concentrated in the age group from 35 to 49 years old in all the metropolitan areas.  The other groups had the following distribution: from 10 to 24 years old (7.0%); from 25 to 34 years old (21.5%) and from 50 years old or more (27.9%).

 

The great majority (58.7%) of these workers were black or brown, and the major concentration of these workers was in Salvador (94.3%), Recife (84.0%) and Belo Horizonte (76.6%).  In Porto Alegre the situation was the opposite and the majority of masons were white (81.0%), while blacks and browns represented 19.0%.

 

More than 60% of the masons had not concluded elementary instruction.

 

Regarding the level of instruction, the great majority (63.5%) of masons which worked as own-account workers in construction, in all the metropolitan areas surveyed by the Monthly Employment Survey had not concluded elementary instruction.

 

The own-account masons, earned on the average (4), R$ 623.00 per month.  The survey showed also that in the total six surveyed areas the masons earned on the average, 38%, less than the own-account workers (R$ 1,013.50) in March 2008.  In all the areas, the income of these workers was always lower than the average earning of the own-account workers.

 

The masons of the metropolitan areas of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Porto Alegre had higher income than the national average (R$ 675.00; R$ 632.00; R$ 716.00, respectively).  Recife and Salvador had results below the average of the six areas: R$ 339.20 and R$ 468.70, respectively.

 

In the total six areas, only 9.4% of own-account masons contributed for social security, while 90.6% did not contribute.  Regarding the average number of hours worked, Rio and São Paulo stood out with 44.2 and 44.4 weekly hours, above the average of the six areas (43.4 hours).

 

Among the own-account salesmen, 60.0% were women.

 

In the total six metropolitan areas surveyed by the Monthly Employment Survey, the workers who were own-account salesmen represented 13.0% of the total own-account workers in March 2008.

 

The major percentages of own-account workers in trade, employed as salesmen were found in Salvador (20.6%); Rio de Janeiro (15.4%) and Recife (14.1%), the three above the average of the six areas (13.0%). The lowest percentages of own-account workers in trade, employed as salesmen were in Belo Horizonte (10.0%), São Paulo (10.6%) and Porto Alegre (10.7%).

 

Great part (39.6%) of the salesmen had between 35 and 49 years old in the total six areas. Recife, Belo Horizonte and Salvador stood out with percentages above the national average in this age group: 48.0%, 43.9% and 42.5%, respectively.

 

The most significant number (60%) of salesmen was composed by women. This was registered in all the metropolitan areas.

 

Regarding color and race, prevailed blacks and browns in the six areas (52.2%). They represented almost the totality of salesmen in Salvador (90.8%) and the majority in Recife (69.2%); Belo Horizonte (63.3%) and Rio de Janeiro (57.8%).  Whites represented the majority of salesmen in São Paulo (68.4%) and in Porto Alegre (87.4%).

 

Regarding the level of instruction of salesmen who worked as own-account, 42.6% had not completed elementary instruction in the total surveyed metropolitan areas.  Differently than own-account masons, there was a significant number (16.2%) of salesmen who had completed elementary instruction and high school. 

 

In the total six areas, the salesmen earned (5), on the average, R$ 502.10 per month, a value 50.5% below the one earned by the own-account group of workers (R$ 1,013.50). Recife and Salvador brought the lowest earnings (R$ 335.20 and R$ 344.70, respectively) and Belo Horizonte, São Paulo and Porto Alegre, recorded results above the national average (R$ 588.40; R$ 593.30; R$ 549.20, respectively).

 

In the total metropolitan areas, only 10.1% of own-account salesmen contributed for social security and 89.9% did not contribute.  Regarding the hours worked per week, São Paulo (38.8), Rio de Janeiro (38.2) and Recife (38.1) were above the average of the six areas (37.3 hours).

 

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1 São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Recife and Porto Alegre.

2 This group includes the activities related to: soil prepare, civil engineering works, constructions and buildings; installation works; finishing and auxiliary services of construction; renting of construction and demolition equipment.

3 This group includes the activities related to: trade, repair of automotive vehicles and of personal and domestic objects and retail fuel trade.

4 Average real income usually earned.

5 Average real income usually earned.