The unemployment rate was estimated at 7.5% in May 2010, according to the Monthly Employment Survey (PME), a result considered stable in relation to the April figure (7.3%). Compared to May 2009 (8.8%), the rate decreased 1.3 percentage points and has reached its lowest level, for a month of May, since the beginning of the new PME series (March 2002), in the group of six metropolitan areas surveyed¹.

The number of unemployed persons (1.8 million persons) has not changed significantly since April and decreased 13.4% compared to May 2009.

The employed population (21.9 million people) was also stable in comparison to the previous month, whereas in the confrontation with May of last year, it grew 4.3%, with more than 894 thousand jobs in one year. The behavior was similar to the total of workers with a formal contract (10.1 million people), which did not change in the monthly comparison, but increased 7.4% in the annual confrontation, with more than 698 thousand jobs with a contract.

The average real income usually earned by workers (R$ 1,417.30) decreased 0.9% in relation to April (R$ 1,430.03); in comparison to May 2009 (R$ 1,383.36), there was an increase of 2.5%.

The volume of real income usually earned by workers (R$ 31.299 billion), related to May, decreased 0.6% in the month, but grew 6.7% in the year. The volume of real income actually earned by workers (R$ 31.029 billion), related to April 2010, decreased 1.1% in the month and increased 6.7% in the year.

The household income per capita (R$ 925.37) had a decrease of 1.0% in relation to April and an increase of 2.7% in the confrontation with May 2009.

By position in the occupation, in relation to April, there was decrease of workers with formal contracts in the private sector (-0.8%) and of own-account workers (-2.8%); stability for military or civil servants; and increase of workers without formal contracts in the private sector (3.9%).

In comparison with May 2009, there were increases of workers with formal contracts in the private sector (1.1%), workers without formal contracts in the private sector (7.7%) and military or civil servants (5.0%). The income of own-account workers was stable in this confrontation, as shown in the table below:

Regionally, unemployment rates did not present significant variations in relation to April. Compared to May 2009, decreases of 2.4 percentage points were recorded in the metropolitan area of São Paulo, 1.1 percentage point in Porto Alegre and 0.9 percentage point in Belo Horizonte.

The table below presents the variations of real average income, by group of activity.

HOUSEHOLD INCOME PER CAPITA

In relation to April, the household income per capita (R$ 925.37) had a decrease of 1.0%, but grew 2.7% in relation to May 2009. The table below shows the values and variations of this indicator for the six metropolitan areas investigated by the Monthly Employment Survey.

Still in the analysis by region, the unemployed population did not present a monthly variation in any of the analyzed areas either, but in comparison to May 2009, it recorded decreases of 23.8% in São Paulo and 15.7% in Porto Alegre.

EMPLOYED POPULATION

For the employed population (21.9 million people), in the average of six metropolitan areas investigated, in the confrontation May/April, there was stability in all groups of activity.

In comparison to May 2009, employment had increases in the contingents of mining and quarrying industry, manufacturing industry and distribution of electricity, gas and water (6.3%); of construction (11.4%); of services rendered to enterprises, rents, real estate activities and financial mediation (4.7%); of education, health, public administration, defense and social security (4.3%); and of other services (7.0%).

In May, workers with a formal contract in the private sector (10.1 million people) represented 46.3% of employed people.

INCOME

The next table shows the values, in May, of the average real income usually earned by workers for the total of investigated areas (R$ 1,417.30) and by each of the areas.

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¹ PME investigates urban areas of the metropolitan areas of Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and São Paulo.