The estimated unemployment rate was 6.2%, having recorded increase of 0.5 percentage points over February 2012 (5.7%)...

The estimated unemployment rate was 6.2%, having increased by 0.5 percentage points over that of February 2012 (5.7%).  The rate was stable compared to the figure of March 2011 (6.5%).  The unemployed population (1.5 million persons) increased by 8.8% in comparison with that of February (122 thousand persons more looking for a job). The estimate remained over that of March last year. The employed population (22.6 million) remained stable compared with the February figure. In comparison with March 2011, there was increase of 1.6% of this estimate (more 367 thousand persons employed).  The number of workers with an employment record card signed in the private sector (11.1 million) did not record change in comparison with February.  In the annual comparison, there was increase (3.7%), representing an addition of 394 thousand job posts with a signed employment record card.

The average real income usually earned by the employed population (R$ 1,728.40, the highest figure for a month of March since year 2002) recorded hike of 1.6% over February 2012 and of 5.6% over March last year.  The volume of real income usually earned (R$ 39.4 billion) increased by 2.0% in relation to that of February and by 7.0% in relation to that of March 2011. The volume of real income earned by the employed population (R$ 38.9 billion), estimated in February 2012, increased 1.2% in the month and 6.2% 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 increased in the metropolitan area of RJ over figure of March 2011 

The unemployment rate (proportion of unemployed persons in relation to the economically-active population, which is formed by employed and unemployed persons) was estimated at 6.2% for the group of six metropolitan areas. By area, in the monthly analysis, there was significant change of the unemployment rate in the metropolitan areas of Recife (with a change from 5.1% to 6.2%) and Porto Alegre (from 4.1% to 5.2%). In comparison with March 2011, there was decline in the metropolitan areas of Salvador and Recife (2.4 and 1.4 percentage points, respectively). In the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro, this estimate increased to 1.0 percentage points, and remained stable in the other areas.  

In the analysis by month, the number of unemployed persons (persons without a job trying to join the labor market) increased in the metropolitan areas of Porto Alegre (29.6%) and Recife (21.7%) and was stable in the other areas surveyed. Compared with March last year, there was decrease of the number of unemployed persons in the metropolitan areas of Salvador (21.9%) and Recife (16.4%). There was increase of this estimate in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro (22.8%). In the metropolitan areas of Belo Horizonte, São Paulo and Porto Alegre, there was stability.  

Employment level stays at 53.6%   

The employment level (proportion of employed persons in relation to persons at active age), estimated at 53.6% in the total of six metropolitan areas, remained stable compared to February 2012 and March 2011. Stability also occurred in the analysis by area, in the monthly comparison, in all the metropolitan areas.  Compared with the figure of March 2011, in the metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte, this indicator increased by 1.3 percentage points.

The analysis of the number of employed persons, by groups of economic activity from February to March 2012, showed positive change in the group Mining and quarrying industry, manufacturing industry and distribution of electricity, gas and water (more 108 thousand persons, 3.0%).   The comparison with March last year showed positive change of 3.6% in Education, health and public administration (125 thousand persons more) and decline of 5.9% in Domestic services (94 thousand persons less).

In the monthly comparison, average income increased in four of the six areas surveyed

In the analysis by area, the average real income earned by the employed population (R$ 1,728.40 in the group of six areas) increased compared with the figure in February in Belo Horizonte (4.7%), São Paulo (2.2%), Porto Alegre (2.2%) and Recife (1.2%) and recorded decline of 05.% in Salvador. There was stability in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro. In comparison with March last year, the average yield increased in all the metropolitan areas.

In the classification by activity group, the biggest increase of the average real income usually earned in relation to March 2011 was 9.7%, relative to Other services:

In the classification by employment type, the biggest increase in the average real income usually earned, in comparison with March 2011, was that of self-employed persons (7.1%):