Unemployment rate records stability in four areas in relation to December

By area, in the monthly analysis, the unemployment rate recorded a change in São Paulo (from 5.2% to 6.4%) and Belo Horizonte (from 3.5% to 4.2%) and remained stable in the other areas. In comparison with January 2012, the rate decreased in Salvador (2.0 percentage points) and in Rio de Janeiro (1.3 percentage points). It registered an increase in São Paulo (0.9 percentage points) and did not change in the other areas.

The unemployment rate was estimated at 5.4%, the lowest in a month of January since the beginning of the series (March 2002), being 0.8 percentage points above the December result (4.6%). The rate remained stable in relation to that of January 2012 (5.5%). The unemployed population (1.3 million persons) grew 17.2% over that of December and remained stable in comparison with the figure of January last year. The employed population (23.1 million) faced decrease of 1.2% in relation to December. Compared with January 2012, there was increase of 2.8%, which meant an increment of 631 thousand employed persons in a period of 12 months. The number of workers with an employment record card signed in the private sector (11.6 million) did not record change in comparison with that of December. In the annual comparison, there was increase (4.1%), representing an increment of 459 thousand job posts with a signed employment record card in one year.

The average real income of the employed population (R$ 1,820.00) was considered stable in comparison with the result of December.

Compared with January last year, the purchasing power of the employed population increased by 2.4%. The real income usually earned (R$ 42.5 billion) recorded decrease of 1.4% versus that of December. Over January 2012, the volume became 5.6% bigger. The volume of real income usually earned by the employed population (R$ 54.4 billion) estimated in December 2012, increased by 16.5% in the month and by 8.3% in one 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/

The unemployed contingent (jobless people trying to get in the market) was estimated at 1.3 million in the group of six areas surveyed, with increase of 17.2% against last December, a result considered stable in relation to last January. 

The analysis by area showed a change in the number of unemployment in relation to last December in São Paulo, 23.3% and Belo Horizonte, 17.9%. In relation to January 2012, there was decrease of this figure in the metropolitan areas of Salvador and Rio de Janeiro (23.3% and 21.8%, respectively) and, in São Paulo, there was decrease in this period (22.3%).  

Employment level stays at 54.4%

The employment level (proportion of employed persons in relation to people at active age), estimated, in January 2013, at 54.4% for the overall of the six areas surveyed, decreased 0.7 percentage points (from 55.1% to 54.4%) against last December. In the comparison with January 2012, there was increase of 0.9 percentage points (from 53.5% to 54.4%). By area, in the monthly comparison, this indicator fell in Salvador (1.3 percentage points), Belo Horizonte (1.1 percentage points) and in São Paulo (0.8 percentage points). Against January 2012, two areas showed increases: Recife (1.4 percentage points) and São Paulo (1.3 percentage points).

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

In the regional analysis, the average real income of workers in relation to December 2012, increased in the Metropolitan Areas of Porto Alegre (2.0%) and São Paulo (0.5%). Salvador (3.9%), Rio de Janeiro (0.8%) and Recife (0.7%) presented a drop and in Belo Horizonte remained stable. Against January 2012, income registered increases in Belo Horizonte (5.2%), São Paulo (4.1%), Rio de Janeiro (2.8%), Porto Alegre (2.6%) and was stable in Recife.  Only in the Metropolitan Area of Salvador was registered a drop (10.9%).

In relation to groups of activity, in comparison with December 2012, there were negative changes only in: Services rendered to enterprises, renting, real estate activities and financial intermediation (-3.1%) and Construction (-1.8%). In the annual comparison, Construction alone recorded a drop (-0.9%).

Considering the classification by occupation categories, there was increase of 2.5% in the average real income usually earned, in comparison to December, only for self-employed workers: