The unemployment rate has reached its lowest figure in the historical series which started in March 2002, falling by 0.8 percentage points in relation to last November (7.6%).

The unemployment rate has reached its lowest figure in the historical series which started in March 2002, falling by 0.8 percentage points in relation to last November (7.6%) and 0.6 percentage points compared to December 2007 (7.4%).

The employed population (1.6 million) fell by 11.0% in relation to November and by 6.35 in the annual comparison.

The employed population (22.1 million) was stable in relation to November, but increased 3.4% in relation to December 2007. The number of workers with a formal contract (10 million) did not change significantly in the month, but increased 7.2% in relation to December 2007. The average real income usually earned (R$ 1,284.90) increased 0.5% in the month and 3.6% compared to December 2007. In Belo Horizonte the increase, in the year, was 12.7%.

In December 2008, the estimated unemployment rate¹ was 6.8% in the group of six metropolitan areas investigated by IBGE’s Monthly Employment Survey (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Recife and Porto Alegre), with decrease of  0.8 percentage points in relation to November and decrease of 0.6 percentage points in relation to December 2007.

 By area, in the monthly comparison, there were decreases in four areas: Recife (1.9 percentage points), São Paulo (1.1 percentage points), Rio de Janeiro, (0.7 percentage points) and Porto Alegre (0.6 percentage points). Compared to December 2007, there was significant decrease in the metropolitan areas of Recife (2.1 percentage points) and São Paulo (0.9 percentage points).

Compared to last November, the number of unemployed persons² fell in the six areas surveyed (11.0%). Compared to December 2007, there was also decrease (6.3%). In the analysis by area, there was decrease in relation to the previous month in Recife, 17.6%, Rio de Janeiro, 11.7%, São Paulo, 13.3% and Porto Alegre, 12.6%. In relation to December 2007, there was negative change in Recife (17.6%) only.

EMPLOYED PERSONS (PO)

In December, the employed population (22.1 million) in the six metropolitan areas surveyed was stable compared to the figure in the previous month and increased 3.4% (about 734 thousand jobs) in relation to December 2007.

By area, in the month, there was increase in Recife (5.2%) and decrease in Belo Horizonte (1.8%). In the year, there were increases in Recife (6.9%), Belo Horizonte (2.3%), Rio de Janeiro (2.6%), São Paulo (4.0%) and Porto Alegre (4.6%).

Results concerning the main groups of activity:

Mining and quarrying industry, manufacturing industry and distribution of electricity, gas and water (16.9% of the PO). There was stability in the two period analyzed, in the group of six metropolitan areas. By area, in the month, there were decreases in Belo Horizonte (5.6%) and São Paulo (4.5%). Compared to December 2007, there were increases in Recife (11.9%) and Porto Alegre (7.9%).

Construction (7.3% of the PO). There was stability compared to November and increase of 6.5% in the year. By area, in the month, there was decrease of 8.0% in Belo Horizonte and, in the annual comparison, increase of 12.1% in Rio de Janeiro.

Trade, repair of vehicles, personal domestic objects and retail trade of fuels (19.7% of the PO). There was increase of 2.7%, in the monthly comparison and stability in the annual comparison. By area, in relation to November, there was increase of 6.4% in Recife. Compared to December 2007, there was also increase in Recife (11.1%).

 Services rendered to enterprises, rents, real estate activities and financial mediation (15.0% of the PO). No change was observed in the month; there was increase of 7.3% compared to December 2007. By area, there was no change in the month, and, in the year, there were increases in Salvador (20.1%) São Paulo (7.2%) and Porto Alegre (9.5%).

 Education, health, social services, public administration, defense and social security (16.0% of the PO). There was stability in the month and increase of 7.3% in the year. By area, in the monthly comparison, there was decrease of 7.3% in Salvador. Compared to December 2007, there were increases in Recife (9.1%) and São Paulo (10.6%).

Domestic services (7.3% of the PO). There was stability in both periods analyzed. By area, there was stability compared to the previous month and decreases in Salvador (12.7%) and São Paulo (12.1%) compared to December 2007.

 Other services (lodging and feeding, transportation, storage and communication, urban cleaning, associate, recreational cultural and sports activities, personal services) (17.4% of the PO).

 There were not any changes in either period, even in the analysis by area.

 Results concerning the type of participation in the job market:

 Workers WITH a formal contract in the private sector (except domestic workers, military and civil servants) (44.8% of the PO). There was stability in the month and increase of 7.2% in the year. By area, in the monthly comparison, there were increases in Recife (6.0%) and in Salvador (3.6%). Compared to December 2007, there were increases in Recife (12.8%), Salvador (9.4%), Belo Horizonte (7.8%), São Paulo (8.3%) and Porto Alegre (7.7%).

Workers WITHOUT a formal contract in the private sector (except domestic workers, military and civil servants) (13.2% of the PO). There was stability, in both period analyzed. In the overall analysis, there was decrease in relation to November in Salvador (7.5%). In the year, there was stability in all the areas.

Military or civil servants (7.6% of the PO). There was stability in relation to last November and increase of 10.1% compared to December 2007. In the analysis by area, there was stability in the month and, in increase in Belo Horizonte (14.3%) compared to December 2007.

Own -account workers (18.7% of the PO). There was stability in both periods of comparison. In the analysis by area, there were no significant changes in the month. Compared to December 2007, there was increase of 11.6% in Recife and decreases in Salvador (8.8%) and Belo Horizonte (7.0%).

AVERAGE REAL INCOME³ 

In December 2008, in the six metropolitan areas, the average real income usually earned  (R$ 1,284,90) increased 0.5% compared to last November and 3.6% compared to December 2007.

 In the analysis by area, in relation to the previous month, there were increases in Recife (2.9%), Belo Horizonte (5,1%) e São Paulo (1,1%), queda no Rio de Janeiro (2.4%) and stability in Salvador and in Porto Alegre. In the annual comparison, there were increases in five metropolitan areas: Recife (0.8%), Salvador (6.7%), Belo Horizonte (12.7%), Rio de Janeiro (4.9%) and São Paulo (1.5%), and stability in Porto Alegre.

Income of categories of position in the activity –  MONTHLY COMPARISON

Workers with a formal contract in the private sector (R$ 1,265.70) (-0.4%).

 There were decreases in Salvador (-2.1%) and Rio de Janeiro (-3.6%), and increases in Porto Alegre (3.2%),  Recife (0.7%) and Belo Horizonte (3.3%), and stability in São Paulo.

 Workers without a formal contract in the private sector (R$ 798.90) (0.5%). There were increases in Recife (2.1%) and Rio de Janeiro (2.9%), decreases in Salvador (5.2%) and Porto Alegre (1.8%), and stability in São Paulo and Belo Horizonte.

 Military or civil servants (R$ 2,256.70) (2.9%). There were increases in Recife (7.1%), Salvador (12.0%), Belo Horizonte (1.0%), Rio de Janeiro (1.9%), São Paulo (2.2%) and Porto Alegre (1.1%).

 Own-account workers (R$ 1,044.30) (0.4%). There were decreases in Rio de Janeiro (3.9%) and São Paulo (0.6%), and increases in Recife (5.5%), Salvador (4.2%), Belo Horizonte (14.9%) and Porto Alegre (2.2%).

 Income of categories of position in the activity –  ANNUAL COMPARISON

Workers with a formal contract in the private sector (6.0%). There were increases in Salvador (6.7%), Belo Horizonte (7.8%), Rio de Janeiro (5.1%), São Paulo (6.9%) and Porto Alegre (2.3%). There was stability in Recife. 

  Workers with a formal contract in the private sector  (-7.8%). There were decreases in Recife (-23.4%), Rio de Janeiro (-2.7%) and São Paulo (-13.5%). There were increases in Salvador (4.8%) and Belo Horizonte (10.6%), and stability in Porto Alegre.

 Military or civil servants (2.6%). There were increases in Recife (10.2%), Salvador (17.2%), Belo Horizonte (2.6%) and Rio de Janeiro (2.8%), and decreases in São Paulo (1,3%) and Porto Alegre (4.1%).

 Own-account workers (1.1%). There was recovery in Salvador (7.8%), Belo Horizonte (15.1%) and Porto Alegre (7.8%). There were decreases in Rio de Janeiro (-3.2%) and in São Paulo (-0,7%). There was stability in Recife. See the real income of workers by group of activity in the table below:         

 AVERAGE REAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME PER CAPITA⁴

 In December 2008, the average real household income per capita (R$ 823.56) in the group of six metropolitan areas was stable in the month and increased by 4.2% in relation to December 2007.

By area, in the month, there were increases in Salvador (1.4%), Belo Horizonte (3.7%), São Paulo (0.4%) and Porto Alegre (1.7%), and decreases in Rio de Janeiro (4.3%). In the year, there were only increases: Recife (3.7%), Salvador (7.8%), Belo Horizonte (12.9%), Rio de Janeiro (6.1%), São Paulo (1.8%) and Porto Alegre (2.6%).

 VOLUME OF REAL INCOME EARNED BY THE EMPLOYED POPULATION⁵

 The volume of real income usually earned by the employed population (R$ 30.5 billion) in November (base don the Monthly Employment Survey of December 2008) in the six metropolitan areas, increased in relation to October (7.7%) and November 2007 (8.3%).

In relation to last October, there were increases in all the areas investigated: Recife (9.7%), Salvador (4.7%), Belo Horizonte (6.8%), Rio de Janeiro (4.3%), São Paulo (10.3%) and Porto Alegre (5.4%). With increases compared to November 2007, were: Recife (2.0%), Salvador (5.0%), Belo Horizonte (12.1%), Rio de Janeiro (14.1%), São Paulo (6.4%) and Porto Alegre (4.8%).

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¹ Proportion of unemployed persons in relation to the economically active age

 ² Persons who were not working, were available to work in the week of reference and had taken action in order to find a job in the thirty days before the week in which they answered the survey

 ³ Income usually earned. For the calculation of real income, the deflator used for each area is the Consumer Price Index – INPC of the respective metropolitan area, produced by IBGE. For the income of the six metropolitan areas, the deflator is the weighting average of the price indexes in these regions.

 ⁴ Division of the monthly household income from work by the number of members of the housing unit, except for those whose condition in the housing unit is pension-receiver, domestic worker or relative of the domestic worker.

 ⁵ Sum of the income effectively earned from all the activities in the month of reference of the survey  (month before the release)