The unemployment rate was estimated at 4.7% in December of 2011, the lowest rate for December and the lowest rate in the time series of the Monthly Employment Survey (PME), started in March of 2002. It dropped 0.5 p.p. in relation to the result of November (5.2%) and 0.6 p.p. compared with December of 2010 (5.3%). 

As a result, the rate of unemployment remained at 6.0% on the average for the 12 months of 2011, the lowest annual average, 0.8 p.p. below that of 2010 (6.7%) and 6.4 p.p. below that of 2003 (12.4%). 

The unemployed population in December of 2011 (1.1 million people) dropped 9.5% in relation to November (119 thousand less people) and 9.4% in relation to December of 2010 (118 thousand less people).

In 2011, there were on average 1.4 million unemployed persons, 10.4% less than in 2010 (1.6 million), representing 166 thousand less unemployed persons in one year. In relation to 2003, the volume of unemployed persons (2.6 million) dropped 45.3%, that is, the reduction affected 1.2 million people in this period. 

The employed population (22.7 million) remained unchanged in relation to November and increased by 1.3% in relation to December of 2010, accounting for a rise of 283 thousand employed persons in a 12-month interval. On average in 2011, the employed persons totaled 22.5 million people, 2.1% more than in 2010 (22.0 million) and 21.3% more than in 2003. 

The number of workers with an employment record card (a type of Brazilian document that contributes to formality in work relationships) in the private sector (11.2 million) remained unchanged compared with November and grew 6.0% in relation to December of 2010, accounting for 638 thousand more  jobs with an employment record card in this period. These results led to a record proportion of workers with an employment record card (10.9 million) on average in 2011 in relation to the total employed persons: 48.5%, against 46.3% in 2010 and 39.7% in 2003.

The employed persons’ real average income usually earned (R$ 1,650.00, the highest value for December since 2002) rose by 1.1% compared with November. Against December of 2010, the employed persons’ purchasing power grew 2.6%. The annual average of the mean monthly income usually earned in the main job was estimated at R$ 1,625.46 (approximately three times the minimum wages), accounting for a growth of 2.7% in relation to 2010. Between 2003 and 2011, the purchasing power resulting from work income increased by 22.2%. 

The per capita household income increased by 3.8% between 2010 and 2011. Between 2003 and 2011, the growth totaled 35.5%.

The volume of income usually earned (R$ 37.8 billion) increased by 0.7% in relation to November. Compared with December of 2010, the volume grew 3.4%. The employed persons’ volume of effective real income (R$ 40.9 billion) estimated in November of 2011 rose by 9.3% in the month and 7.1% in the year.

The volume of the monthly real income usually earned (annual average), estimated at R$ 36.9 billion for 2011 in the six metropolitan regions, increased by 4.8% in relation to 2010 and of 47.9% compared with 2003.

The Monthly Employment Survey is conducted in the metropolitan regions of Recife, Salvador, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Porto Alegre. The complete publication can be accessed at www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/indicadores/trabalhoerendimento/pme_nova/

The complete publication of the Review of the Labor Market 2003-2011 can be accessed at http://www.ibge.gov.br/home/estatistica/indicadores/trabalhoerendimento/pme_nova/retrospectiva2003_2011.pdf

People aged 50 and over represent 22.0% of the employed population

 From 2010 to 2011, there was a significant increase in the participation of the population aged 50 and over (4.0% in relation to 2010) in the working-age population, reaching 12.6 million people.

The groups aged 25 to 49 and 15 to 17 also increased, but with lower intensity (0.9% and 0.7%, respectively), while the other age groups either fell or remained stable.

Among the employed population, the presence of persons aged 50 and over in the labor market changed from 21.5% in 2010 to 22.0% in 2011, while all other age groups either reduced or kept the relative participation along the year.

The group aged 50 and over represented 16.7% of the employed population in 2003.

60.7% of the employed population has 11 or more years of schooling

The education level of the population aged 10 and over increased from 2010 to 2011. The percentage of persons with 11 or more years of schooling increased 1.3 percentage points (changing from 44.5% in 2010 to 45.8% in 2011). This percentage was of 34.3% in 2003 (increasing 11.4 percentage points from 2003 to 2011). The improvement of the population with 11 or more years of schooling was also perceived among the workers, changing from 59.2% to 60.7%. The percentage of employed persons with 11 or more years of schooling rose 14.0 percentage points from 2003 to 2011 (changing from 46.7% to 60.7%).

Average income from work rises, but gaps persist

In 2011, the annual average of the average monthly income usually received in the main job was estimated in R$ 1,625.46 – approximately three minimum wages -, the highest figure since 2003, representing a growth of 2.7% against 2010. The purchasing power resulting from work increased 22.2% from 2003 to 2011.

Unemployment rate in 2011 is 0.8 percentage points lower than in 2010

In 2011, the unemployed persons accounted for 1.4 million people on average, 10.4% less than the average in 2010 (1.6 million), representing 166 thousand less unemployed persons in one year.

In relation to 2003 (2.6 million unemployed persons), the rate decreased 45.3% (approximately 1.2 million less persons).

The unemployment rate – proportion of unemployed persons in relation to the economically active population, which comprises both employed and unemployed persons – in 2011 (average from January to December) was estimated in 6.0%, 0.8 percentage points below that of 2010 (6.7%). Compared with 2003, when the rate was estimated in 12.4%, the fall was of 6.4 percentage points.

The table below shows the evolution of the unemployment rate per year for the total and for each area surveyed by PME.

Between 2003 and 2011, the income of black and brown workers grew 38.6% for black persons and 36.7% for the brown ones, while the income of white workers grew 22.4%.

The survey also pointed out that, in 2011, black and brown workers earned, on average, slightly more than half (52.3% for black workers and 54.7% for the brown ones) of the income received by white workers – the average annual income was of R$ 1,073.22 for black workers and of R$ 1,121.44 for the brown ones, whereas it was of R$ 2,050.25 for white workers. This ratio was of 50.0% for black workers and 53.7% for the brown ones in 2010. It is worth mentioning that it did not even reach the half in 2003 (46.2% for black workers and 49.0% for the brown ones).

The income increased in all types of work relationships from 2010 to 2011: workers in the private sector with no employment record card (6.1%); military and civil servants (2.1%); self-employed workers (4.0%); and workers in the private sector with employment record card (1.4%). The increase was of 3.0% for employers.

Every activity group also showed a gain in the purchasing power resulting from work.

In percentage terms, the groups with the highest increase were those of smaller income. The following groups gained income in the period 2010-2011: around 5.0% in industry and construction; 5.7% in other services; and 5.6% in domestic services.

In the comparison 2003-2011, domestic services represented the highest increase among the groups, 42.4%.

Still in relation to 2003, another highlight was the construction group, mostly comprised of masons, which registered a gain of 37.1% in this period. Only the group of services provided to enterprises recorded a fall (-1.8%) between 2010 and 2011. This group showed the smallest percentage of gain from 2003 to 2011, 10.9%.

The per capita household income grew 3.8% from 2010 (R$ 1,046.13) to 2011 (R$ 1,085.66).

In regional terms, the unemployment rate registered a significant change only in Rio de Janeiro (fall of 0.6 percentage points) when comparing with November 2011.

Compared with December 2010, the metropolitan area of Recife showed a fall of 2.2 percentage points in this indicator. The unemployment rate reached the lowest level in the series for the metropolitan areas of Recife, Salvador, Belo Horizonte and São Paulo.

In the monthly analysis of the real average income usually earned by activity group, gains were observed in Mining and quarrying, manufacturing industry and energy, gas and water supply (0.9%), Construction (5.3%), Services provided to enterprises, rentals, real estate activities and financial intermediation (3.3%), Education, health, social work, public administration, defense and social security (1.1%), Domestic services (0.5%) and Other services (1.8%).

On the other hand, losses were observed in Trade, repair of motor vehicles and of personal and domestic objects and fuel retail trade (3.2%). When compared with December 2010, gains were observed in Mining and quarrying, manufacturing industry and energy, gas and water supply (1.4%), Construction (13.4%), Services provided to enterprises, rentals, real estate activities and financial intermediation (0.9%), Education, health, social work, public administration, defense and social security (0.9%), Domestic services (5.3%) and Other services (6.2%), whereas losses were observed in Trade, repair of motor vehicles and of personal and domestic objects and fuel retail trade (3.3%).

Employed population increases 2.1% from 2010 to 2011

The employed population in all the areas of PME in 2011 (average from January to December) was of 22.5 million people, 2.1% higher than in 2010 (22.0 million) and 21.3% higher than in 2003, an increase of 4.0 million people.

This increase was lower than that recorded from 2009 to 2010 (3.5%). This figure contributed to the rise of the employment level – proportion of employed persons in the total number of persons aged 10 and over, in the 12-month average – from 53.2% in 2010 to 53.7% in 2011 (50.0% in 2003). Compared with 2003, the employed population increased 21.3%.

In the metropolitan areas of Belo Horizonte, São Paulo and Porto Alegre, the employment level was higher than that of the six metropolitan areas combined, respectively 57.0%, 55.8% and 55.1%, whereas Recife registered the lowest level, 46.6%. 

The employed population was distributed between 54.6% of men (12.3 million people) and 45.4% of women (10.2 million people) in 2011. As already observed in previous years, women remain a minority in the employed population and are the majority of the working-age population. While the participation of women in the employed population did not change in relation to 2011 (45.3% in 2010 to 45.4% in 2011), it shows an increasing trend (2.4 percentage points in relation to 2003, when it was 43.0%).

48.5% of workers have employment record card

An average of 10.9 million workers in the private sector had employment record card in 2011. The percentage of workers with employment record card in relation to the total employed persons changed from 46.3% in 2010 to 48.5% in 2011 (39.7% in 2003).

The percentage of workers with employment record card in the private sector represented approximately half of the employed population in all the metropolitan areas, ranging from 43.9% in Rio de Janeiro to 52.0% in São Paulo.

The metropolitan area of São Paulo remained with the highest proportion among the employed persons (52.0%). Rio de Janeiro was the metropolitan area that grew less in the period 2003-2011 (6.8%), in such a way that Recife and Salvador, which showed the lowest proportions until 2010, outgrew Rio de Janeiro in 2011.

As a consequence of the increase in the number of workers with employment record card, the number of workers who contributed to the social security also increased: 61.2% of the employed persons contributed to the social security in 2003, 68.4% in 2010 and, in 2011, 71.0%.

The survey showed gaps among the income from men and women, as well as among white, black and brown persons.

On average, women earned around 72.3% of the income received by men (R$ 1,343.81 against R$ 1,857.64) in 2011. This difference remained stable in relation to 2010, thus interrupting the improvements occurred since 2007. The lowest proportion was registered in 2003, 70.8%.

The volume of monthly income usually earned (annual average) was estimated in R$ 36.9 billion for the six metropolitan areas in 2011, increasing 4.8% in relation to 2010 and 47.9% comparing with 2003.

Figures from December 2011: unemployment declines to 4.7%

The volume of unemployed persons, estimated in 1.1 million people in all the six metropolitan areas surveyed, reached the lowest level in the time series – started in 2002 – for the metropolitan areas of Recife, Salvador, Belo Horizonte and São Paulo.

In relation to November, the regional analysis showed that the number of unemployed persons dropped in Rio de Janeiro (12.5%) and remained stable in the other metropolitan areas. When compared with December 2010, a significant fall was observed in the metropolitan area of Recife (32.6%), while the other areas remained virtually stable.

Between November and December 2011, the analysis of the groups of economic activity for the employed population - 22.7 million people in all the six metropolitan areas - showed a fall of 2.6% in Education, health, social work, public administration, defense and social security, while the other groups did not record any significant change. When compared with December 2010, Services provided to enterprises, rentals, real estate activities and financial intermediation rose 10.5% (357 thousand more people) and Construction rose 7.7% (126 thousand more people). The group of Domestic services declined 5.0% (81 thousand less people) and the other groups remained stable. 

The employment level, estimated in 54.0% in December 2011 for all the six areas, did not change against last November and was also stable in relation to December 2010. In the monthly comparison, all the metropolitan areas remained stable, except Rio de Janeiro, which fell 1.0 percentage point. When compared with December 2010, only Salvador recorded a significant change (a decrease of 2.3 percentage points).

The workers in the private sector with employment record card (11.2 million people) represented 49.2% of the employed persons in December 2011.

In the regional analysis in relation to November 2011, the real average income usually earned by workers increased in Salvador (1.3%), Belo Horizonte (1.3%), Rio de Janeiro (2.2%) and São Paulo (1.4%). It declined in Recife (4.2%) and was stable in Porto Alegre. When compared with December 2010, the income increased in Recife (2.7%), Salvador (12.4%), Belo Horizonte (5.5%) and São Paulo (2.4%). It declined in Porto Alegre (0.5%) and remained stable in Rio de Janeiro.

The comparison of employment position in relation to November showed a gain for workers in the private sector with no employment record card (1.5%) and self-employed workers (1.1%).

Workers in the private sector with no employment record card showed a fall (2.5%). Military and civil servants showed stability. 

In the comparison with December 2010, gains were observed for workers in the private sector with employment record card (2.5%), military and civil servants (1.6%) and self-employed workers (4.6%).

Conversely, workers in the private sector with no employment record card showed a fall of 2.7%.

In relation to November, the per capita real household income usually earned by employed persons (R$ 1,079.86) grew 0.9%. Compared with December 2010, the growth was of 2.5%. The table below shows the values and the changes of this indicator for the six metropolitan areas surveyed by PME.