In December 2009, the industrial sector reduced the number of employed persons by 0.6%, in comparison to November (seasonally adjusted series), after an expansion of 2.8% between July and November. This result, however, did not alter the upward trend of employment, according to the quarterly moving average index, which grew by 0.4% between November and December, keeping a sequence of five positive rates. Signs of recovery during 2009 were also evident through quarterly indicators: in the fourth quarter of 2009, employment rose by 1.6% since the immediately previous quarter, increasing the growth rhythm in relation to the third quarter (0.3%). In the comparisons with the same periods of 2008, the indexes of employed persons are negative: -2.7% in relation to December 2008, -4.2% in the last quarter, and -5.3% accumulated in the year. This last one has been the major decrease since the beginning of the historical series in 2002.

In the comparison December 09/December 08, the number of workers decreased in eleven of the fourteen areas surveyed. He main negative impacts came from to the overall average (-2.7%) came from industry in the Southeast Region (-3.1%), mainly from São Paulo (-2.1%), affected by means of transportation (-12.3%) and metal products (-10.3%), and from Minas Gerais (-6.7%), due to apparel (-28.6%) and metallurgy (-13.2%). It is also worth mentioning the negative performance of the North and Central West Regions (-4.2%), Rio Grande do Sul (-3.2%) and Paraná (-3.5%). In these areas, the highlights were the losses observed in wood (-24.5%), in the two regions; footwear and leather articles (-6.8%) in Rio Grande do Sul and wood (-13.1%) and other products from manufacturing industry (-16.5%), in Paraná. The only places with increase of the number of workers in this comparison were the Northeast Region (0.4%), Ceará (4.0%) and Bahia (1.6%).

In the country, in the same comparison, persons fired outnumbered the contracted ones in eleven of the eighteen subsectors surveyed; the main highlight in this case was means of transportation (-8.4%), with the biggest increase in the overall analysis. Among the sectors which presented positive rates, the main one was paper and printing, with increase of 8.5%.

Considering the evolution of quarterly indices there was the pace of decrease of industrial employment was reduced between the tow last quarters of  2009 (from -6.7% to -4.2%). This movement of recovery is observed in seventeen subsectors, mainly in footwear and leather articles, which changed from -10,2% in the third quarter to -2.2% in the fourth one. By area, reduction of pace between the tow aforementioned periods reached all the areas surveyed, especially the North and Central West, with change from -10.4% in the third quarter to -6.5% in the fourth one, and Rio Grande do Sul (from -8.8% to -4.9%). It is important to mention the performance of industrial employment in Ceará, which was the only place with a positive result in the last quarter of 2009 (2.8%), after three consecutive quarters presenting falling results.

The end of 2009 for the employment index in industry pointed to reduction of 5.3% in the number of persons employed in Brazilian industry, the most significant decrease since the beginning of this time series, in 2002. Only paper and printing (7.2%) had, in terms of subsectors, increase of the number of workers in 2009, when compared to the previous year. Among the activities with falling results, the main decreases came from means of transportation (-9.8%), machinery and equipment (-8.6%), apparel (-7.9%), metal products (-9.1%) and wood (-16.8%).

At regional level, also in the same comparison ,the reduction of the number of workers in 2009 was also widespread and reached all the areas surveyed. This situation was most relevant in São Paulo (-4.0%) and in Minas Gerais (-8.5%). In the São Paulo state industry, there were negative rates in fourteen subsectors, being the highlight means of transportation (-11.7%) and metal products (-11.6%). In Minas Gerais, the reduction of the employed population reached sixteen subsectors; the main decreases came from apparel (-20.3%) and textiles (-19.4%).

In summary, seasonally adjusted industrial employment decreased 0.6% between November and December; however, there has not been change in the upward trend of the quarterly moving average in the last five months. Throughout 2009, together with the dynamism of industrial production, which has been observed for at least three quarters, there was also recovery of employment and of the number of hours paid: both accelerated in the fourth quarter (with respectively 1.6% and 2.0%) compared the third quarter (0.3% and 0.5%). In spite of the comparison with the same month and with the same quarter in the previous year, which show negative indexes for employment and number of hour paid, there is evident reduction of the rhythm of decrease. Even so, industrial employment (-5.3%) and the number of hours paid (-5.6%) ended 2009 with the biggest decreases in the time series, as a consequence, mainly, of the fall of production in the end of 2008.

NUMBER OF HOURS PAID

The number of hours paid to industry workers, in December, remained practically stable (-0.1%), compared to the immediately previous month, in the seasonally adjusted series, after six consecutive increases, having accumulated increase of 3.3% from June to December. The quarterly moving average index increased by 0.5% between November and December, confirming, once more, the steady improvement of working hours in the national industry. Also in the seasonally adjusted series, compared to the immediately previous quarter, the fourth quarter of 2009 presented increase of 2.0%, after having advanced 0.5% in the period.

Compared to the same month in the previous year, the number of hours paid decreased 1.8% in December; it was the least significant decrease since December 2008. As a result, the indicator accumulated in 2009 was -5.6%, and there was lower decrease compared to figures in previous months. In the quarterly analysis, the last quarter of the year presented decrease of 3.7% compared to the same period in the previous year.

In relation to December 2008, the number of hours paid decreased by 1.8%, with reduction in twelve of the fourteen areas and twelve of the eighteen subsectors surveyed. In terms of subsector, the main negative contributions came from wood (-15.7%), metal products (-6.5%) and machinery and equipment (-4.4%). On the other hand, paper and printing (8.4%), food products and beverages (0.9%) and petroleum refining and alcohol production (4.3%) accounted for the most significant positive contributions.  

Also considering the monthly indicator, the areas accounting for the main negative impacts on the national result were Minas Gerais (-4.5%), North and Central West region (-3.0%) and São Paulo (-0.7%). In the first area, there was reduction of the number of hours paid, and the main highlights were apparel (-26.7%) e metallurgy (-12.2%). In the North and Central West Region, wood (-26.5%) and electronic machinery and communication equipment (-13.0%) accounted for the most significant negative contributions, whereas in São Paulo, the main ones came from means of transportation (-8.4%) and metal products (-9.7%).

In the analysis by quarter, with change of -3.7% in the period October-December, the number of hours paid has completed a sequence of Five consecutive quarters without negative rates. Between the third (-7.0%) and the fourth (-3.7%) quarters of 2009, both compared to the same quarter in the previous year, all the fourteen areas and the eighteen activities presented reduction of the pace of decrease, according to the advance of industrial production observed between these two periods. Among the subsectors, the most significant gains came from means of transportation, which changed from -13.8%, in the quarter to -7.3% in the following one; footwear and leather articles (from -10.8% to -3.3%) and machinery and equipment  (from -14.2% to -9.0%). Among the areas, the main highlights were Pernambuco (from -6.3% to -1.0%) and North and Central West Region (from -12.0% to -7.2%).

The indicator accumulated in 2009 faced decrease of 5.6% in terms of the number of hours paid; it was the biggest decrease since the beginning of the time series (2002), with overall decrease reaching thirteen areas and fifteen subsectors. Among the areas, the main losses occurred in São Paulo (-4.1%), Minas Gerais (-8.0%) and North and Central West Region (-9.6%), whereas in the analysis by quarter, the most relevant ones were those of machinery and equipment (-10.6%), means of transportation (-10.5%) and apparel (-7.7%). On the other hand, Ceará, stable compared to year 2008 (0.0%), was the only area not to show decrease of the number of hours paid, whereas paper and printing (6.7%), petroleum refining (2.1%) and non-metallic minerals (0.1%) accounted for the three positive results in this type of comparison.

REAL PAYROLL

In December, the real payroll of industry workers decreased 3.7% in relation to the immediately previous month (in the seasonally adjusted series), after having presented decrease of 0.4% in November.

With these results, the quarterly moving average index decreased 1.2%, after three months with positive results, and having accumulated gain of 1.6%. In the analysis by quarter, real payroll was stable (0.0%), compared to the third quarter of 2009, after four consecutive quarters with negative results in this comparison.

Compared to similar period in the previous year, results remained negative: -5.0% in terms of the monthly indicator and –2.8% accumulated in the year. The indicator accumulated in the last twelve months, after changing from -1.9, in November, to –2.8%, in December, has been on a downward trend since September 2008 (6.7%).

In December, real payroll decreased 5.0% in relation to December 2008, with negative rates in nine of the fourteen areas surveyed. The main negative contribution came from São Paulo (-8.1%), Due to the decrease of real payroll in means of transportation (-12.2%), chemical products (-21.6%) and metal products (-15.0%). It is also worth mentioning Minas Gerais (-9.7%), due to metallurgy (-19.2%), means of transportation (-19.3%) and mining and quarrying industry (-21.2%); and Rio Grande do Sul (-12.5%), with means of transportation (-12.7%), machinery and equipment and electronic machines and communication equipment (-25.4%) and non-metallic minerals (-23.7%). On the other hand, the main positive impacts were observed in Bahia (4.4%) and Ceará (8.1%), due, respectively, to the rise of salaries in means of transportation (45.1%) and footwear and leather articles (28.0%). 

By subsector, still considering the monthly indicator, real payroll faced decrease in tem of the twelve industrial subsectors. The main negative contributions came from means of transportation (-10.7%), chemical products (-14.7%), metallurgy (-13.0%) and metal products (-10.0%). On the other had, the main positive impacts came from paper and printing (5.6%), food products and beverages (1.2%) and other products from manufacturing industry (5.2%).

In the analysis by quarter, there were negative rates in four consecutive quarters, although the real payroll had less significant decrease from to the third quarter (-5.0%) to the fourth one (-3.8%). .

The indicator accumulated in the year decreased by 2.8%, with negative rates in ten areas. The main negative contributions came from São Paulo (-3.1%), Minas Gerais (-6.1%) and Rio Grande do Sul (-6.9%). In these areas, the main negative contributions came, respectively, from means of transportation (-6.6%) and chemical products (-6.7%); metallurgy (-16.4%) and means of transportation (-9.9%); means of transportation (-15.9%) and footwear and leather articles (-9.3%).  

In terms of subsectors, there was decrease of salary volume in twelve activities; the main negative contributions came from means of transportation (-6.3%), metallurgy (-11.7%) and machinery and equipment (-5.3%). On the other hand, the principal gains in terms of salary came from paper and printing (13.0%) and mining and quarrying industry (8.6%).