The unemployment rate was stable in relation to January (7.2%) and decreased 1.1 percentage point in relation to February 2009 (8.5%). The unemployed population (1.7 million) did not change in the monthly comparison and decreased (-11.3%) in relation to February 2009 (220 thousand less people). The employed population (21.7 million) was stable in relation to January and grew 3.5% (725 thousand more jobs) in relation to February 2009. The number of workers with a formal contract (10 million) increased 1.6% in relation to January (156 thousand more jobs with a formal contract). The average real income usually earned (R$ 1,398.90) increased 1.2% in the month and 0.9% in relation to February 2009. The volume of real income actually earned (R$ 30.4 billion) increased 18.9% in the monthly analysis and 5.2% in the annual analysis. The volume of real income usually earned (R$ 30.6 billion) grew 1.3% in the month and 4.6% in the year. The average household income per capita grew 0.8% in the monthly analysis and 5.5% in the year.

Evolution of unemployment rate, in the total of six Metropolitan Areas

In February 2010, the unemployment rate (7.4%) was stable in the monthly comparison. In relation to February 2009, the rate decreased 1.1 percentage point. In the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre, the rate changed from 4.3% to 5.1% in February and fell almost 1.0 percentage point in the year. In São Paulo, the rate did not change in relation to January, but presented a decrease of approximately 2 percentage points in the annual comparison.

The number of unemployed people, estimated in 1.7 million in the total of the six investigated areas, did not change in the monthly analysis, and decreased 11.3% in relation to February of last year. Regionally, unemployment just varied in relation to January, in Porto Alegre (19.4% rise). In the annual analysis, the metropolitan area of São Paulo recorded a fall in this estimate (18.4%).

The employed population (21.7 million people) in February 2010, in the aggregate of the six investigated metropolitan areas, kept a stable behavior in comparison to the previous month. In relation to February of last year, it presented a recovery of 3.5%, that is, an increase of 725 thousand jobs in one year.

There was stability in all activity groups, except for Domestic services, which recorded a decrease of 3.4% in relation to January. In comparison with February 2009, three groups presented employment increase: Construction (8.1%), Services rendered to enterprises, rents, real estate activities and financial mediation (3.9%) and Other services (6.1%).