The unemployment rate was estimated at 5.5%, the lowest rate for January since the beginning of the series (March 2002), and recorded a rise of 0.8 percentage points over December 2011 (4.7%). Compared with January last year (6.1%), it declined 0.6 percentage points. The unemployed population (1.3 million people) increased 15.9% against December (more 180 thousand people looking for a job). Compared with January last year, it declined 7.7% (less 110 thousand people). The employed population (22.5 million) dropped 1.0% compared with December (less 220 thousand employed persons).  Compared with January 2011, this estimate increased 2.0% (more 433 thousand employed persons). The number of workers with a formal contract in the private sector (11.1 million) did not record a significant change in relation to December.  In the annual comparison, there was an increase of 6.3%, accounting for additional 664 thousand jobs with a formal contract.

The real average income usually earned by employed persons (R$ 1,672.20, the highest value for January since March 2002), rose 0.7% in the monthly comparison and 2.7% compared with January a year ago. The volume of real income usually earned by employed persons (R$ 37.9 billion) fell 0.5% against December and grew 3.6% in relation to January 2011. The volume of real income effectively earned by employed persons (R$ 47.2 billion), estimated in December 2011, rose 14.8% in the month and 3.9% 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 can be accessed at www.ibge.gov.br/home/estatistica/indicadores/trabalhoerendimento/pme_nova/

In the monthly analysis, the number of unemployed persons – jobless people looking for a job – grew in Porto Alegre (24.8%), Recife (22.1%), Belo Horizonte (20.5%), São Paulo (16.5%) and Rio de Janeiro (13.9%). Only Salvador showed stability. Compared with January 2011, the number of unemployed persons fell significantly in the metropolitan areas of Salvador (-24.9%) and Recife (-16.9%), whereas the other areas did not record any significant change.

Employment level stays at 53.5%

 The employment level – proportion of employed people in relation to people in working age -, estimated at 53.5% in all the six regions, dropped 0.5 percentage points against last December and did not change significantly in relation to January last year.  In regional terms, the monthly comparison showed that the majority of the metropolitan areas maintained the stability. In the metropolitan areas of Porto Alegre and São Paulo, the indicator fell 1,1 and 0,8 percentage points, respectively. Compared with January 2011, Recife and Belo Horizonte changed positively (1.9 and 1.2 percentage points, respectively). 

Between December and January, the analysis of employment by group of activities showed that only Domestic services changed, a fall of 4.2%. The comparison with January last year showed changes in Construction (increase of 8.8%, equivalent to 142 thousand people) and Services provided to enterprises, rentals, real estate activities and financial intermediation (increase of 6.9%, equivalent to 238 thousand persons). 

In the annual comparison, average income increases in four of the six regions

In the regional analysis, the real average income usually earned by workers (R$ 1,672.20 in all the six areas) rose against December in Recife (7.3%), Salvador (3.0%), Belo Horizonte (1.7%) and Porto Alegre (4.0%). It dropped in Rio de Janeiro (-1.6%) and maintained stable in São Paulo. When compared with January 2011, the income increased in Recife (2.5%), Salvador (16.6%), Belo Horizonte (6.4%) and São Paulo (2.2%). It maintained stable in Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre:

Among the group of activities, Construction registered an increase of 13.8% against January 2011, the highest rise for the real average income usually earned:

Conversely, in the classification by employment position, the highest increase in the real average income usually earned compared with January a year ago was for Military and public servants (6.0%):

Unemployment falls in three metropolitan areas against January 2011

The unemployment rate – proportion of unemployed persons in relation to the economically active population, which comprises both employed and unemployed persons – was estimated at 5.5% for all the six metropolitan areas. In regional terms, the monthly analysis showed that the unemployment rate registered a significant change in Recife (from 4.7% to 5.7%), Belo Horizonte (from 3.8% to 4.5%), Rio de Janeiro (from 4.9% to 5.6%), São Paulo (from 4.7% to 5.5%) and Porto Alegre (from 3.1% to 3.9%). The metropolitan area of Salvador did not record any significant change. Compared with January 2011, the rate dropped in Salvador (-2.4 percentage points), Recife (-1.4 percentage points) and Belo Horizonte (-0.8 percentage points), while showing stability in the others: