The National Index of Construction (Sinapi), calculated by IBGE in partnership with Caixa Econômica Federal, changed by 1.03% in July, having fallen 0.21 percentage points compared to June (1.24%). This result was above that of July last year (0.41%), causing increase of the result of the last 12 months to 8.92%, versus the 8.26% of the immediately previous 12 months. The rate in 2008 is 6.36%, also above the change observed in the same period last year (3.58%).

The national cost by square meter changed from R$ 637.69 in the previous month (June) to R$ 644.23 in July. Out of this figure, R$ 369.04 refer to expenditure with material and R$ 275.19, with manpower.

The item material remained practically stable, with hike of 1.40%, versus 1.44% in June.  Manpower, on the other hand, changed by 0.53% in July, with decline of 0.43 percentage points.

In relation to the indexes in the year and accumulated in 12 months, the results of 2008 were significantly higher than those in 2007. In the year, material rose 6.13%, above the rate of 2.49% registered in the same period in 2007: the same occurred to manpower, with hike of 6.67% versus 5.07% in 2007. In the last 12 months, the accumulated index of material reached 8.98% and was above the change of 12 immediately previous 12 months (7.87%), as well as manpower, whose hike of 8.84.% surpassed that of the immediately previous 12 months (8.78%).  

Salary readjustments bring cause North Region to have the highest rate

Affected by the result of Amazonas, the state with salary readjustments which resulted from a collective agreement, the North region had, in July, the highest change in the National Index of Construction (2.10%). The Central West Region, had hike of 2.02%, influenced by Mato Grosso, also due to salary readjustments. The index of the South Region changed by 0.92%, whereas the Northeast and Southeast had similar changes (0.79%).

The South Region kept the biggest change in the year (7.41%). In the last 12 months, the highest rate was that of the Central West (10.19%). The lowest accumulated figures in both periods were those of the Northeast Region (5.23% in the year and 7.82% in 12 months). As for costs by region, the figures by square meter were: R$ 684.45 in the Southeast; R$ 640.05 in the South; R$ 631.36 in the North; R$ 619.64 in the Central West and R$ 598.66 in the Northeast.

Amazonas and Mato Grosso are the leaders among the states  

Due to salary agreements, the biggest changes in the National Index of Construction, in July, occurred in Amazonas (5.24%) and in Mato Grosso (4.78%).

In the year and in the last 12 months, the major hikes were those of Acre (9.93% in the year) and in Mato Grosso (13.26% in 12 months), respectively.

These results are calculated monthly by IBGE through a partnership with Caixa Econômica Federal, in Sinapi - National System of Costs Survey and Indexes of Construction. Sinapi, created in 1969, is aimed at producing information and indexes for national coverage in a systematic way, in order to help in the elaboration and evaluation of budgets, monitoring of costs, adequacy of material and the scheduling of investments. In 2002, the National Congress sanctioned, through the law LDO (Budgetary Directives Law), the use of Sinapi as the reference to the calculation of costs in public construction.

SELECTED STATISTICS

JULY/08

SOURCE: IBGE, Diretoria de Pesquisas, Coordenação de Índices de Preços.