The indicator remained stable in the month/immediately previous month comparison (seasonally adjusted series).

The indicator remained stable in the month/immediately previous month comparison (the seasonally adjusted series). In the comparison between March 08 and March 07, the number of employed persons increased by 2.9% and the index accumulated in the year, by 3.0%. The indicators of real payroll increased by 2.7% for the seasonally adjusted comparison between the month and the immediately previous month; 8.7% in comparison with March/07 (encompassing all the 14 areas surveyed) and 6.4% in comparison with the same quarter in the previous year.

SALARIED EMPLOYED PERSONS

In March, industrial employment changed by 0.1% in relation to the immediately previous month, in the seasonally adjusted series. In comparison with the same month in the pervious year, the number of employed persons has increased for twenty-one consecutive months reaching 2.9% compared to March 2007. In the end of the first semester of the year, there was increase by 3.0%, compared to the same period in the previous year. The annualized rate, the indicator accumulated in the last twelve months, remained practically stable between February (2.5%) and March (2.6%).

The quarterly moving average indicator had slight positive change (0.2%) after having remained stable in the last two quarters.

The increase of the quarterly index by 2.9% resulted from the change registered in eleven of the fourteen areas and in twelve of the eighteen subsectors surveyed. The areas accounting for the main positive impacts were: São Paulo (4.4%), Minas Gerais (3.6%), Northeast Region (3.0%) and North and Central-West Region (3.2%). In the industry of São Paulo state, considering the eleven subsectors which had increase of the number of employed persons, the most significant contributions came from machinery and equipment (14.9%), electronic and communication machines and equipment (20.3%) and means of transportation  (12.3%). In Minas Gerais, food products and beverages (7.5%) and means of transportation (16.2%) were the highlights, with eleven positive results. In the North and central West Regions, increase of employment was observed, predominantly, in food products and beverages, with 4.1% and 10.4%, respectively. On the other hand, negative contributions came from the following areas: Espírito Santo (-1.9%), Santa Catarina (-0.3%) and Ceará (-0.1%).  

Also in the comparison between March 2008 and March 2007, in the country, the main positive impacts came from machinery and equipment (15.2%), means of transportation (11.9%), electronic and communication machines and equipment (14.3%) and food products and beverages (3.1%), whereas, on the other hand, the main negative contributions came from footwear and leather articles (-12.1%), apparel (-4.2%) and wood (-9.0%).

At the end of the first quarter of 2008 (3.0%), there was increase of the number of workers in eleven areas and eleven subsectors. At national level, the positive highlights were: machinery and equipment (14.3%), means of transportation (11.1%) and electronic and communication machines and equipment (13.7%). In the analysis by area, São Paulo (4.5%), Northeast Region (3.2%) and Minas Gerais (3.1%) were the main positive contributions. The main negative highlight came from Espírito Santo (-2.8%). By subsector, the negative highlights were footwear and leather articles (-11.3%) and apparel (-4.0%).

Employment indexes show deceleration between the results of the fourth quarter of 2007 (3.5%) and of the first quarter of 2008 (3.0%). It is worth mentioning that the number of hirings are concentrated, traditionally, in the last quarter of the year and that, in 2007, the result of 3.5% was the second highest in the series, being below the index for the fourth quarter of 2004 (4.1%). This way, the rate for the first quarter of 2008 was the third highest one in the quarterly series, and shows that the level of industrial employment remains high. The reduction of the growth rhythm of this indicator was observed in ten subsectors and in seven areas, being the highlights: textiles (from (de 0.8% to –4.1%), wood (from –5.3% to  –7.9%) and footwear and leather articles (from –9.1% to –11.3%), among the subsectors; and Paraná (from 4.9% to 2.9%), Santa Catarina (from 1.5% to 0.0%) and São Paulo (from 5.6% to 4.5%), among the areas surveyed.  

In summary, the March index reveals a positive scenario for industrial employment, characterized, however, by a lower rhythm of increase. In the seasonally adjusted series, the quarterly moving average had positive changes after two quarters with stable rates. In comparison with the immediately previous quarter, the number of employed persons has increased for five consecutive periods, but had significant increase of rhythm (0.2%) in the first quarter of the year, compared to the last quarter of 2007 (1.1%).

NUMBER OF HOURS PAID

The number of hours paid to industry workers in March decreased by 0.9% in relation to February, in the seasonally adjusted series, after having increased by 1.7 in the previous month. The quarterly moving average indicator had the second consecutive positive change (0.2%), having accumulated increase of 0.6% between the quarters which ended in March and January.

Comparison with the same month in the previous year showed increase of 2.6%. The first quarter of the year was positive both in comparison with the same period in the previous year (2.9%), and in comparison with the immediately previous quarter (0.4%) – seasonally adjusted series. In the indicator accumulated in the last twelve months, the increase by 2.3% has kept the upward trend which started in September 2006. The number of hours paid, according to the monthly indicator, increased by 2.6%.

This performance resulted from the several increases which occurred in eleven of the fourteen areas and in thirteen of the eighteen subsectors surveyed. In terms of subsector, the main positive changes came from machinery and equipment (16.3%), means of transportation (12.1%) and electronic and communication machines and equipment (12.1%). On the other hand, footwear and leather articles (-13.5%) and wood (-10.9%) represented the most relevant negative contributions.

Still in comparison with March 2007, the areas with the main positive impacts on the national result were São Paulo (4.2%), Northeast Region (4.3%) and Minas Gerais (3.5%). In São Paulo, the number of hour paid increased in thirteen subsectors, especially in machinery and equipment (15.5%), means of transportation (13.6%) and electronic and communication machines and equipment (16.2%). In the industry of the Northeast Region, food products and beverages (9.1%) and petroleum refining and alcohol production (17.7%) brought the main positive contributions; in Minas Gerais, the subsector of electronic and communication machines and equipment (27.7%) was the most relevant positive contribution. The main negative influence to the overall rate came from Espírito Santo (-3.0%), where apparel (-8.9%) was the highlight among the negative results.

The indicator accumulated in the first quarter of 2008, in relation to the same period last year, increased by 2.9%, with positive results in eleven subsectors and in twelve areas surveyed. In the analysis by subsector, the most significant positive contributions came from machinery and equipment (15.3%), means of transportation (12.1%) and metal products (10.8%). On the other hand, the main negative contributions were those of footwear and leather articles (-12.7%) and wood (-9.1%). By area, the most significant positive influences to the overall result were those of São Paulo (4.3%) and Northeast region (3.5%).

On the other hand, Espírito Santo (-3.0%) was the only negative contribution. On a quarterly basis, after having had increased in comparison with the previous period in 2007 (0.8% in the first one, 1.4% in the second, 2.0% in the third and 2.8% in the fourth quarters), the January-March index this year (2.9%) has remained on an upward trend, as observed in the last quarter of 2007.

REAL PAYROLL

In March, the seasonally adjusted index of real payroll of industry workers increased by 2.7% in relation to the immediately previous month, after having decreased by 0.1%. As a consequence, the quarterly moving average indicator increased by 1.4% between the quarters which ended in February and in March, resulting in the second consecutive positive rate and accumulating 1.8% in the period.

In comparison with March 2007, real payroll increased by 8.7%. The figure accumulated in the first quarter increased by 6.4% in comparison with the same period in the previous year and by 1.5% in relation to the last quarter of 2007 (seasonally adjusted series).The annualized rate, that is, the indicator accumulated in the last twelve months, changed from 5.5% in February, to 5.9% in March, and increased again after the decrease of 0.1% in February, interrupting the upward trend which had started in December 2006 (1.3%). 

Real payroll increased by 8.7% in March, compared to the same month in the previous year, as the twenty-fourth consecutive positive rate. There was increase in all the areas surveyed, especially in São Paulo (9.6%), due to the results for means for means of transportation (18.0%), chemical products (18.6%) and  electronic and communication machines and equipment (14.1%). There were also increases in Minas Gerais (12.6%), being the highlights: metallurgy (20.1%), non-metallic minerals (26.6%) and electronic and communication machines and equipment (35.1%); and in the Northeast region (9.9%), due to the increases in food products and beverages (13.5%) and machinery and equipment (35.5%) and petroleum refining and alcohol production (22.2%). 

In terms of subsector, still relative to the monthly indicator, real payroll increased in fifteen of the eighteen areas surveyed. The main contributions came from means of transportation (16.0%), machinery and equipment (10.6%), chemical products (12.4%) and metallurgy (15.4%). Decreases were observed in footwear and leather articles (-8.6%), textiles (-1.8%) and wood (-2.6%).

In comparison with the same quarter in the pervious year, there have been positive for seventeen consecutive months.  From the last quarter of 2007 (6.5%) to the first quarter of 2008 (6.4%), the rhythm of this indicator remained practically stable. Among the subsectors, it is worth mentioning: mining and quarrying industry (which changed from 17.0% in the fourth quarter of 2007 to -5.7% in the first quarter of 2008) and chemical products (from 14.5% to 6.9%). Among the areas, it is worth mentioning Rio de Janeiro (from 6.3% to 2.0%) and Rio Grande do Sul 9from 10.6% to 6.9%). Positive changes occurred for machinery and equipment (from -1.2% to 8.9%) and rubber and plastic (from -0.2% to 5.3%), which had the major salary increments, whereas, among the areas, the highlights were Pernambuco (from 4.0% to 14.5%) and Paraná (from 2.7% to 6.9%). 

The indicator accumulated in the first quarter increased by 6.4%, with positive contributions from thirteen areas. The main positive contributions to the increase of real payroll were those of São Paulo (8.0%), Minas Gerais (6.2%) and Rio Grande do Sul (6.9%), where the highlights were, respectively, means of transportation (15.2%) and chemical products (11.6%); means of transportation (17.3%) and metallurgy (8.2%); and metal products (42.7%) and machinery and equipment (20.2%). On the other hand, the only decrease occurred in Espírito Santo (-0.9%), due to mining and quarrying industry (-5.6%) and machinery and equipment (-11.0%). 

In terms of subsector, thirteen subsectors had increase in salary volume, being the highlights: means of transportation (14.2%), machinery and equipment (8.9%) and metal products (13.5%). On the other hand, negative results came from mining and quarrying industry (-5.7%) and footwear and leather articles (-7.5%).