In the first month of the year, employment changed 0.3% compared to the figure in December 2009, in the seasonally adjusted series. The rate was negative (-1.1%) when compared to that in the same month last year; there has been, however, lower pace of decrease since December 2008. The seasonally adjusted number of hours paid decreased (-0.3%) from December/09 to January/10. Versus the same month in the previous year, there was decrease of 0.2%, the lowest since October 2008. Real payroll increased 5.9% in January, in relation to December/09, not considering seasonal influence. In the analysis by month, there was increase of 2.4% in relation to the same period in the previous year, thus interrupting a sequence of ten months of decrease.

Persons employed

In January 2010, employment in industry had positive change of 0.3% compared to the previous year, in the seasonally adjusted series, after having decreased 0.6% in December. Also considering the same series, the quarterly moving average kept the upward trend observed since last August, by increasing 0.3% among the quarters which ended in December and January.

Compared to the same month in the previous year, there was decrease of 1.1% in the number of persons employed in the industrial sector; this decrease was the smallest since December 2008. The annualized rate, the index accumulated in the last 12 months, practically repeated the same result of the end of 2009 (-5.2%), by decreasing 5.1%.

In the comparison January 2010/January 2009, in the country, there was decrease of industrial employment in thirteen of the eighteen subsectors surveyed, being the highlights, in terms of contribution to the overall rate of -1.1%: wood (-13.8%), apparel (-4.3%) and means of transportation (-4.0%). Among subsectors with positive rates, the main positive contribution to the national average came from paper and printing (8.8%).

At regional level, also in this type of comparison, there was decrease of the number of persons employed in ten of the fourteen areas surveyed, especially in Minas Gerais (-4.2%) and in the North and Central West Region (-3.0%). In these areas, the highlights in terms of employment reduction were apparel (-27.7%) and metallurgy (-12.1%), in Minas industry, and wood (-26.5%) and machinery and electronic and communication machinery and equipment (-9,2%), in the aforementioned Major Regions. On the other hand, areas with increase of the number of persons employed in this comparison were: Northeast Region (2.0%), Ceará (6.0%), Pernambuco (3.4%) and Bahia (2,9%). In the first two aforementioned areas, it is worth mentioning the advances coming from footwear and leather articles, with rates of 16.9% and 20.3%, respectively, and food products and beverages (3.3% and 7.1%). In Pernambuco, the main impact came from the subsector of food products and beverages (8.4%), whereas, in Bahia, the highlight was the rise of footwear and leather (20.4%)

The first employment result for year 2010 (-1.1%) showed less significant decrease than observed in the last quarter of 2009 (-4.2%), being both comparisons made versus the same period in the previous year. This movement was present in sixteen industrial subsectors, being the highlights means of transportation,  which changed from -10.4% in the last quarter of last year to -4.0% in January 2010, machinery and equipment (from -8.4% to -2.9%), footwear and leather (from -2.2% to 3.3%), metal products (from -8.3% to -3.1%) and rubber and plastic (from -6.3% to -1.1%). Also in the same comparison, all the areas had rates above those in the last quarter last year, being the highlights: Pernambuco (from -2.1% to 3.4%), Minas Gerais (from -9.1% to -4.2%), North and Central West Region (from -6.4% to -3.0%) and Espírito Santo (from -5.3% to -1.8%).

Number of hours paid

The number of hours paid to industry workers in January 2010 had negative change of 0.3% compared to the immediately previous month, in the seasonally adjusted series; this result was recorded after seven months without decrease, a period in which there was accumulated increased of 3.4%. Also in the seasonally adjusted series, the quarterly moving average index presented increase of 0.2% between December and January and has remained on an upward trend since August last year.

Compared to the same month in the previous year, there was negative change of 0.2%, the lowest figure since October 2008 (1.4%), when the number of hours paid recorded its last positive result. The annualized rate, that is, the indicator accumulated in the last twelve months (-5.3%), faced slight reduction in its overall pace of increase compared to the end of 2009 (-5.6%).

In relation to the same month in the previous year, the number of hours paid had negative change of 0.2%, with decrease in seven of the fourteen and in eleven of the eighteen subsectors surveyed. In terms of subsector, the main contributions came from  wood (-13.8%), apparel (-5.0%) and metal products (-3.9%). On the other hand, paper and printing (9.0%), food products and beverages (2.1%) and footwear and leather (3.3%) accounted for the main positive contributions.

Also in the monthly indicator, the places with the most significant contributions to the national result were: Minas Gerais (-2.9%), North and Central West Region (-2,1%) e Santa Catarina (-1,5%). In Minas there was reduction of the number of hours paid in fourteen subsector, especially  apparel (-26.6%) and metallurgy (-11.3%). In the industry of North and Central West Region, wood (-27.7%) and electronic machines and communication equipment (-6.4%) accounted for the main negative contributions to the number of hours paid in this area, whereas, in Santa Catarina, apparel (-6.4%) and means of transportation (-18.1%) were the most significant relative contributions.  

On the other hand, among the seven areas which presented positive rates, highlights came from São Paulo (1.0%), due to paper and printing (25.4%) and food products and beverages (3.1%), and from the Northeast Region (1.5%), affected, to a great extent, by the subsectors of footwear and leather articles (16.5%) and food products and beverages (2.7%).

The result of -0.2% of January 2010, for the number of hours paid, showed less significant decrease than that in the last quarter of 2009 (-3.6%), both comparisons relative to the same period in the previous year.

This occurrence was observed in fifteen industrial subsectors, especially machinery and equipment, which changed from -9.0% in the last quarter of 2009 to 1.0% in January 2010, means of transportation (from -7.3% to -0.4%) and footwear and leather articles (from -3.6% to 3.3%). All presented rates above those in the last quarter last year, especially: Bahia (from -4.8% to 1.7%), North and Central West Region  (from -7.1% to -2.1%), Minas Gerais (from -7.7% to -2.9%) and Pernambuco (from -1.0% to 3.6%).

Real payroll

In January 2010, the seasonally adjusted real payroll of industry workers increased 5.9% in relation to the figure in the immediately previous month, after having accumulated decrease of 4.0% in the last two months of 2009. With these results, the quarterly moving average indicator increased 0.6% between the quarters which ended in December and January, after having decreased 1.2% last December.

Compared to the same period in the previous year, there was increase of 2.4%, thus interrupting a sequence of ten months of decrease in this type of comparison. The indicator accumulated in the last twelve months, by changing from -2.8% in December to  -2.5% in January, interrupted the downward trend  which started in September 2008 (6.8%).

In terms of the monthly indicator, real payroll increased 2.4%, supported by the expansion of twelve of the fourteen areas surveyed, and having as the main highlight São Paulo (1.3%), which accounted for the main positive contribution on the general industry. In this area, the main highlights were the increases of paper and printing (32.4%), electronic machines and communication equipment (15.1%) and food products and beverages (7.4%). It is also worth mentioning the positive results observed in Rio de Janeiro (8.1%), affected, to a great extent, by the rise of paper and printing (55,2%), due to the paying of profit participation shares and collective bargaining in an important company of the sector and mining and quarrying industry (6.0%); Northeast Region (5.7%), due to footwear and leather articles (28.6%) and food products and beverages (6.6%); and Paraná (7.5%), due to the salary gains in means of transportation (17.7%) and food products and beverages (8.4%). On the other hand, two negative impacts came from Minas Gerais (-1.9%) and Espírito Santo (-6.8%), due, respectively, to decreases observed in metallurgy (-8.5%) and mining and quarrying industry (-14.6%); and machinery and equipment (-37.3%) and metallurgy (-12.9%).

By subsector, also considering the monthly indicator real payroll increased in thirteen of the eighteen subsectors surveyed, mainly paper and printing (22.0%), food products and beverages (7.3%), electronic machines and communication equipment (8.4%) and chemical products (6.2%). On the other hand, the main losses came from metallurgy (-8.4%), machinery and equipment (-4.0%) and metal products  (-5.0%).

The rise of real payroll by 2.4% in January/2010 reversed the decrease of 3.8% observed in the last quarter of 2009, both comparisons relative to the same period in the previous year. Changes occurred in fifteen subsectors, mainly in chemical products, which changed from -9.4% in the last quarter of 2009 to 6.2% in January 2010; electronic machines and communication equipment  (from -6.0% to 8.4%) and paper and printing (from 10.7% to 22.0%). Also in the same comparison, thirteen of the fourteen areas presented rates above those in the last quarter of 2009, especially Pernambuco (from -0.4% to 9.4%), Minas Gerais (from -10.7% to -1.9%), North and Central West region (from -4.9% to 3.4%) and Rio de Janeiro (from 0.2% to 8.1%).