In the classification by activity group, versus September, there was a 1.5% increase in Trade, repair of motor vehicles and of personal and domestic objects and retail trade of fuels, and a 0.6% increase in Other services. Construction faced decline (1.8%), as well as Education, health, social services, public administration, defense and social security (0.7%) and Domestic services (0.5%). In the analysis by year, there was gain in Construction (6.0%), Trade, repair of motor vehicles and of personal and domestic objects and retail trade of fuels (4.9%), Domestic services (4.2%) and Other services (3.6%). Also over October 2010, there was decrease in Mining and quarrying industry, manufacturing industry and distribution of electricity, gas and water (0.6%), Services rendered to enterprises, rents, real estate activities and financial mediation (3.2%) and Education, health, social services, public administration, defense and social security (6.8%).

The estimated unemployment rate of October, for the group of six metropolitan areas, was 5.8%. It is the lowest rate for a month of October since the reformulation of the survey in 2002, having been considered stable, both in relation to September (6.0%), and to October last year (6.1%). The unemployed population (1.4 million persons) was stable both over the previous month and over October 2010. The employed population (22.7 million persons) did not record significant change when compared with the September figure. There was increase of this estimate by 1.5% versus that of October 2010, with increment of 336 thousand employed persons in twelve months. The number of workers with a formal employment contract signed in the private sector (11.1 million persons) did not change significantly compared to that in September. Over October 2010, there was a 7.4% increase, that is, a total 765 thousand more job posts with a formal contract in a period of one year. The average real income of the employed population (R$ 1,612.70) did not change compared to the figure in September, and remained stable versus the figure in October last year. The volume of real income usually earned (R$ 36.9 billion) was stable versus that of September and increased by 0.9% compared with October 2010. The volume of real income of the employed population (R$ 36.7 billion), estimated in Sept/2011, remained stable in the month and was 0.7% up in the year.

The Monthly Employment Survey is conducted in the metropolitan areas of Recife, Salvador, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Porto Alegre. The complete publication is available at

www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/indicadores/trabalhoerendimento/pme_nova/.

Unemployment remains unchanged in the six areas surveyed

By area, the unemployment rate did not record significant changes in any metropolitan areas over September 2011. Compared to October 2010, there was decrease of 2.0 percentage points in the metropolitan area of Recife, of 0.8 percentage points in Belo Horizonte, increment of 0.7 percentage points in Porto Alegre and stability in the remaining areas.

Compared with October last year, the number of unemployed persons recorded significant change in the Metropolitan Area of Recife, where the indicator fell by 27.3%, and in the Metropolitan Area of Belo Horizonte, which recorded decrease of 15.3%. This estimate did not record changes over September. 

Employment level stays at 54.0%

Considering the employment level (proportion of employed persons in relation to persons at working age) estimated in October 2011 as 54% in the group of six metropolitan areas, it was observed that this estimate remained stable, both versus last September and versus October 2010. By area, in the monthly comparison, all the areas remained stable considering this indicator. Versus October 2010, there were significant changes in Salvador and Porto Alegre (reduction by 1.5 and 1.0 percentage points, respectively); in Rio de Janeiro the indicator increased by 2.0 percentage points.

The analysis of employment, by activity group, showed that, from September to October, there was stability in all the groups of activity. In the annual comparison, there were increases in two groups of workers: Construction, 4.7% (76 thousand persons) and Services rendered to enterprises, rents, real estate activities and financial mediation, 8.4% (286 thousand persons). The other groups did not record changes in this period.

Compared with the September figure, average income is up in three of the six areas

The analysis by area of the average real income usually earned by the employed population indicates increase in Recife (5.1%), Salvador (1.5%) and Belo Horizonte (0.8%). It fell in Rio de Janeiro (1.6%) and in Porto Alegre (0.6%) and did not change in São Paulo. Versus October 2010, there was decline in Recife (6.0%) and in Rio de Janeiro (1.9%). The other results were increase in Salvador (3.7%) and Belo Horizonte (2.5%) and stability in São Paulo and Porto Alegre.

In the analysis of per capita household income,there was increase of 0.5% over October in the previous year. Recife recorded the biggest decrease  (7.9%) and Belo Horizonte, the biggest increase (3.7%).