The unemployment rate of September, estimated by the Monthly Employment Survey (PME)¹, was 0.4 percentage point below that of August (8.1%) and equal to that of September 2008 (7.7%). The unemployed population (1.8 million) decreased by 4.8% in comparison to August (90 thousand fewer unemployed persons) and did not change in comparison to September of last year. The employed population (21.5 million) remained stable both in the monthly and in the annual comparison. In relation to August, the only activity group that presented change in this population was other services (rise of 2.6% in the total employed persons); in relation to September 2008, only a group recorded significant variation: education, health, social services, public administration, defense and social security (3.5%). The number of workers with a formal contract in the private sector (9.5 million) changed neither in relation to August of this year nor in relation to September 2008. The number of workers without a formal contract (2.8 million) remained stable in comparison to August, but fell by 6.9% in comparison to September 2008. 

The average real income usually earned by workers (R$ 1,346.70 in September) increased by 0.6% in comparison to August and 1.9% in comparison to September 2008. The volume of real income usually earned by workers (R$ 29 billion) increased by 1.4% in the month and 2.2% in the year.

Evolution of unemployment rate from August 2008 to September 2009, in the total six metropolitan areas:

UNEMPLOYED PERSONS²

By comparison to August 2009, there was a 4.8% fall in the number of unemployed persons in the six areas surveyed by PME. In relation to September 2008, the situation remained stable. A decrease in relation to August was observed just in the metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte (-15.3%). In the annual comparison, there was an increase in Recife (18.0%) and a decrease in Rio de Janeiro (-21.6%).

EMPLOYED PERSONS (PO)

The number of employed persons in the group of six metropolitan areas (21.5 million) remained stable in the comparison to both August and September 2008. In the monthly comparison, there was stability for all surveyed areas. In face of September 2008, there was an increase in Salvador (4.4%).

The following table shows the distribution of employed persons by group of economic activity in September.

Type of participation of workers in the job market:

Workers WITH a formal contract in the private sector (44.2% of PO). Stability in the month and in the year. In the analysis by region, in relation to August, rise in Salvador (4.0%). In relation to September 2008, rises in Recife (6.7%) and Salvador (8.1%).

Workers WITHOUT a formal contract in the private sector (12.8% of PO). Stability in the month and fall (-6.9%) in the year. In the analysis by region, in the month, 9.1% increase in Belo Horizonte. In relation to September of last year, falls in Recife (-21.8%), Rio de Janeiro (-13.9%) and Porto Alegre (-15.5%).

Military or civil servants (7.8% of PO). Stability in the month and in the year. In the analysis by region, stability in relation to August. In relation to September of last year, 21.5% rise in Salvador.

Own-account workers (18.8% of PO). Stability in both periods of comparison for all surveyed areas.

AVERAGE REAL INCOME³

In September, for the group of six areas, the average real income usually earned by workers was R$ 1,346.70, presenting a 0.6% rise in relation to August of this year, and a 1.9% rise in comparison to September 2008.

In relation to the previous month there were increases in Recife (5.5%), Salvador (2.8%) and São Paulo (1.1%), and decrease in Belo Horizonte (-2.6%). In contrast with September 2008, all areas recorded increase: Recife (5.3%), Salvador (2.8%), Belo Horizonte (0.6%), Rio de Janeiro (1.7%), São Paulo (1.4%) and Porto Alegre (5.2%).

The following table summarizes the main information on average real income by category of occupation.

The following table shows the variations of average real income usually earned by the employed population, by group of activity, for the six investigated areas.

AVERAGE REAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME PER CAPITA

In September 2009, for the group of six areas, the average real household income per capita was R$ 876.46, what represented an increase of 0.5% in comparison to August and of 2.4% in comparison to September 2008. Variations on monthly and annual comparisons are presented on the table below.

VOLUME OF REAL INCOME USUALLY EARNED BY THE EMPLOYED POPULATION⁴

According to September PME, in August the volume of real income usually earned by the employed population was estimated as R$ 29 billion, revealing an increase of 1.4% in relation to July and of 2.2% in the comparison to August 2008.

_________________________ 

¹ PME covers urban localities of six Brazilian metropolitan areas: São Paulo Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre, Salvador and Recife.

² Who were not working, were available to work in the reference week and had taken some effective step to find a job in the 30 days before the week when they participated in the survey.

³ Income usually earned. The deflator used for each area is the National Consumer Price Index (INPC) of the respective metropolitan area. For the income of the group of six metropolitan areas, the deflator is the weighing average of price indexes in those areas. The weighing variable is the population dwelling in urban localities of the metropolitan area.

⁴ Sum of the real income earned in all works.