In 2009, the 1.47 million active trade companies in the country employed about 8.8 million persons and generated R$ 1.6 trillion in net operating revenue (gross revenue minus tax and contribution deduction, cancelled sales, rebates and discounts). Throughout the year, a total R$ 95.1 billion have been paid in salaries, withdrawals and other compensation.

These and other data are part of the Annual Survey of Trade (PAC) 2009, which describes the structural characteristics of trade in three main divisions (retail trade, wholesale trade and trade of motor vehicles, pieces and motorcycles) for Brazil, its Major regions and Federation Units.

The complete publication is available at www.ibge.gov.br/home/estatistica/economia/comercioeservico/pac/2009/.

Retail is the group that generates most jobs (6.5 million)

Between 2008 and 2009, the number of persons employed increased from 8.15 million to 8.80 million (8.02%) and the number of companies from 1.40 million to 1.47 million (4.57%). Retail trade still has the biggest number of companies and local branches with resale revenue, and employed most of the employed persons, being responsible for the biggest participation in salaries, withdrawals and other compensation. Wholesale trade remains as the main responsible for the biggest part of net operating revenue:  

Retail trade, in 2009, was formed by 1.2 million trade companies (79.4% of the total in Brazil) and obtained net operating revenue of R$ 661.1 billion (41.9% of the total). Approximately 6.46 million persons were employed in retail trade companies, corresponding to 73.4% of the total. With reference to salaries, withdrawals and other compensation, this type of trade paid R$ 58.9 billion, 61.9% of the total, and trade margin (difference between net resale revenue and the cost of resold goods) amounted to R$ 172.5 billion (52.2% of the total).

On the other hand, the 158.7 thousand wholesale companies (10.8% of the total) generated R$ 677.8 billion in net operating revenue, corresponding to 43.0% of the total. Approximately 1.47 million persons were employed in wholesale trade companies (16.9% of the total). In relation to salaries, withdrawals and other compensation, this type of trade spent R$ 25.3 billion, that is, 26.6% of the total. The wholesale trade margin reached R$ 121.3 billion, or 36.7% of the total.

Net operating revenue of the trade segment of motor vehicles, pieces and accessories reached R$ 238.5 billion (15.1% of the total). being formed by 143.5 thousand companies (9.8% of the total) this segment accounted for the employment of 855.5 thousand persons (9.7% of the total), and for a total R$ 10.9 billion paid as salaries, withdrawal and other compensation (11.5% of the total). Companies that resell cars, pieces and motorcycles recorded trade margin of R$ 36.9 billion, that is, 11.1% of the total. 

Small trade companies are the biggest employers

In retail trade, the companies that had up to 19 employed persons (97.5%) generated the highest figures for net operating revenue (41.8%), salaries and other compensation (53.2%), besides employing the biggest number of persons (63.0%). Those were also the ones that generated the biggest revenue of value added (50.9%), which is the difference between gross production value and intermediate consumption. On the other hand, companies with 500 or more employed persons (0.03%) accounted for 30.6% of the revenue, 25.3% of value added, 23.4% of salaries, withdrawals and other compensation and 16.2% of the persons employed in the segment. The productivity of retail (division of value added by the total number of persons employed) was R$ 20,679; average salary was 1.5 minimum wages and the average number of employed persons per company, 6. The activity hypermarkets and supermarkets recorded the highest average number of employed persons per company (79) among all the trade activities.

Southeast has the biggest level of participation in all the variables surveyed

Trade companies whose activities are developed in the Southeast region recorded, in 2009, the biggest level of participation in Brazilian trade considering all the variables surveyed. They generated R$ 898.0 billion of gross resale revenue (52.2% of the total) in 764 791 local branches with resale revenue (48.7% of the total), employed 4.6 million persons (52.6% of the total) and paid R$ 54.4 billion (57.2% of the total) in salaries, withdrawals and other compensation.

For all the Major Regions, retail trade features as the trade division that records the biggest participation in terms of number of local branches with resale revenue, employed persons and salaries. With reference to gross resale revenue, however, the main division of trace activity was retail, with participation of 43.3%. Only in the Northeast and south did the division of retail trade feature the biggest participation, with 47.0% and 43.6%, respectively. In the other ones, wholesale trade was the highlight, with the highest gross revenue of trade:

In wholesale, the companies which, in 2009, employed up to 19 persons (92.9%) accounted for 16.9% of net operating revenue, for the bigger participation in value added (33.1%), for 23.7% of salaries, withdrawals and other compensation and by the bigger employment level of the population (36.7%). Companies with 500 or more employed persons (0.1%) were a highlight in terms of revenue generation (38.7%) and volume of salaries paid, 25.9%, besides having contributed with 25.1% of value added and 17.9% of the total number of person employed in this segment. Wholesale recorded productivity of R$ 63,097, average salary of 2.8 minimum wages and an average of 9 employed persons per company. The activity fuels and lubricants was a highlight, recording productivity of R$ 211.247, average salary of 7.6 minimum wages and an average figure of 22 employed persons per company:

In terms of trade of motor vehicles, pieces and motorcycles, companies with 100 to 249 employed persons (0.4%), in 2009, represented the biggest percentage of revenue (25.8%). They also contributed with 18.4% of value added, 17.9% of salaries, withdrawals and other compensation and 11.3% of the total employed persons. On the other hand, companies which employed up to 19 persons (96.4%) accounted for the biggest part of value added (36.4%), of the total salaries, withdrawals and other compensation (37.3%) and the number of employed persons (57.3%), having been responsible for 18.7% of the revenue of this segment. The trade of motor vehicles, pieces and motorcycles recorded productivity of R$ 37.957, average salary of 2.1 minimum wages and average number of 6 employed persons per company. Resale of motor vehicles was a highlight with productivity of R$ 61,708, average of 12 employed persons per company and average salary of 3.1 minimum wages.