The unemployment rate of 7.4% in November, estimated by the Monthly Employment Survey (PME)¹, presented statistically significant change neither in relation to that of October (7.5%) nor to that of November 2008 (7.6%). The stability in both comparisons was also verified for the unemployed population (1.7 million persons) and the employed population (21.6 million). Examining employment by groups of activity, there was stability in the comparison with October, and, in relation to November of last year, there was a significant variation just in services rendered to enterprises, rents, real estate activities and financial mediation (3.9%). The number of workers with a formal contract in the private sector (9.6 million) did not alter as well, in relation either to October of this year, or to November 2008.

The average real income usually earned by workers (R$ 1,353.60 in November) did not change in the monthly comparison and increased by 2.2% in relation to November 2008. The volume of real income actually earned by workers (R$ 29.4 billion) increased by 0.5% in the month and 3.2% in the year.

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

AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOME PER CAPITA

In November 2009, for the group of six areas, the average real household income per capita was R$ 897.11, what represented an increase of 0.9% in the comparison with October and 4.9% in relation to November 2008. The variations in monthly and yearly comparisons are presented in the following table.

EMPLOYED PERSONS

The number of employed persons in the aggregated of six metropolitan areas (21.6 million) was also stable in comparison both to October and November 2008. Among the metropolitan areas, there was a significant variation just in Salvador, where the employed population grew by 3.6% in the annual comparison.

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

UNEMPLOYED PERSONS²

The number of unemployed persons (1.7 million) remained stable in the total of six areas investigated by PME, in relation both to October 2009 and to November 2008. In the analysis by region, there was a significant variation just in Rio de Janeiro (-20.8%), in comparison with November 2008.

Type of participation of workers in the job market:

Workers WITH a formal contract in the private sector (44.5% of PO). Stability in the month and in the year. In the analysis by region, there was an increase in Salvador (5.6%), in the annual comparison.

Workers WITHOUT a formal contract in the private sector (12.8% of PO). Stability in the month and in the year. In the analysis by region, in relation to November of last year, there was a decrease in Salvador (-16.7%).

Military or civil servants (7.5% of PO). Stability in the month and in the year in all surveyed areas.

Own-account workers (19.1% of PO). Stability in both periods of comparison. In the annual comparison, rise in Salvador (15.6% of PO).

AVERAGE REAL INCOME³

In November, for the aggregate of six regions, the average real income usually earned by workers was R$ 1,353.60, remaining stable in relation to October (R$ 1,354.74) and presenting an increase of 2.2% in relation to November 2008 (R$ 1,324.67).

In relation to the previous month, there were income decreases in Recife (-1.3%), Salvador (-4.4%) and Rio de Janeiro (-1.1%), and increases in São Paulo (1.0%) and Porto Alegre (1.3%). In relation to November 2008, there was income reduction in Recife (-1.7%) and increases in Salvador (0.4%), Belo Horizonte (2.4%), Rio de Janeiro (0.8%), São Paulo (3.0%) and Porto Alegre (6.3%).

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.

VOLUME OF REAL INCOME USUALLY EARNED BY THE EMPLOYED POPULATION⁴

According to the PME of November, in October the volume of real income usually earned by the employed population was estimated in R$ 29.4 billion, revealing an increase of 0.5% in relation to September and 3.2% in the comparison to October 2008.

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¹ PME comprises 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 steps 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 metropolitan areas.

⁴ Sum of the real income earned in all works.