Productivity at work in the services sector grew on average 3.2% per year between 2007 and 2011, a rise greater than the change of the monthly average salary (2.8%). The value added (11.7%) grew, in the annual average, more than the number of employed persons (8.2%). The productivity indicator results from the division of the value added (value that the activity adds to goods and services in the production process) by the number of employed persons.

The sector with the largest productivity was that of maintenance and repair services (8.3% per year), followed by real estate activities (7.9%), both with productivity change above the change of salaries (4.0% and 2.1%, respectively). Out of the seven sectors surveyed, five presented average productivity growth above the average growth of salaries (which reveals a downfall in labor cost in the services sector), namely: maintenance and repair services; real estate activities; other activities in services; professional, administrative and complementary services; transportation, support activities for transportation and mailing activities.

All such information is gathered by the Annual Survey of Services (PAS), which also reveals that in 2011 the sector had approximately 1.1 million enterprises. Together, they generated around R$ 1.0 trillion in net operating revenue, employed 11.4 million persons and paid R$ 202.7 billion in salaries, withdrawals and other compensation. The 60.1 thousand enterprises with 20 or more employed persons (5.6% of the total) generated a revenue of R$ 779.8 billion (77.6%), R$ 431.6 billion of value added (73.0%), employing 7.6 million persons (66.4%) and paying R$ 154.7 billion in salaries (76.3%).

By areas, the Southeast accounted for 66.6% of income generation, paid 67.4% of the salaries and employed 60.7% of the persons in the sector, in 2011.

PAS 2011 provides information on the services sector for Brazil, Major Regions and all 27 Federation Units. Data are available on https://www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/economia/comercioeservico/pas/pas2011/default.shtm.

Between 2007 and 2011, the value added in the services sector grew, on average, 11,7% per year, above the annual average growth of the employed persons. As a result, productivity at work increased on average 3.2% per year. Six activities had higher results than the sector as a whole. The highlights were maintenance and repair services, with a 8.3% productivity growth per year. The other highlights were real estate activities (7.9%), professional, administrative and complementary services (4.1%), other services (5.5%), transportation, support activities for transportation and mailing activities (3.7%). Information and communication services (1.9%) and services rendered mainly to families (2.6%) also posted productivity growth, but below the average of the set of activities.

In relation to the monthly average salary, the growth in the services sector was 2.8% between 2007 and 2011. Maintenance and repair services (4.0%); professional, administrative and complementary services (3.4%); transportation, support activities for transportation (2.5%); real estate activities (2.1%); and other activities (1.7%) posted a higher productivity growth than the monthly average salary change. Information and communication services (3.7%) and services rendered mainly to families (3.1%) recorded a higher change of monthly average salary than that of productivity.

Maintenance and repair services registered the largest productivity growth

The highest productivity growth in the services sector between 2007 and 2011 was seen in maintenance and repair services (8.3% per year), including repair and maintenance of motor vehicles and motorcycles, communication and computer equipment and personal and household objects and equipment. The majority of the enterprises in the sector are small businesses, with an average of four employed persons. The activity maintenance and repair of communication and computer equipment were the most dynamic services between 2007 and 2011, with an annual average growth of 16.8%.

Maintenance and repair services presented an average increase in the monthly salaries (4.0%) below the change of productivity at work (8.3%), which occurred in all segments encompassed by the activity. The monthly average salary in the segments of maintenance and repair of communication and computer equipment increased, on average, 1.2% per year between 2007 and 2011. Maintenance and repair services of personal and household objects recorded a salary rise of 4.3% and maintenance and repair of motor vehicles, of 4.8%.

Real estate activities posted a productivity gain of 7.9% per year, of 9.4% in the number of employed persons, of 2.1% in the average salary and of 18.1% in the value added between 2007 and 2011. The group encompasses the purchase, sale and rent of own properties, intermediation, management and administration of real estate. The most dynamic activity was purchase, sale and rent of own properties, with a productivity increase of 7.,8%  and reduction of  the monthly average salary (-2.4%). In intermediation services for purchase, sale and rent of real estate, there was a rise of 5.6% monthly average salary and of 4.0% in productivity.

5.6% of service enterprises generate 77.6% of the sector's revenue

PAS identified 1,081,012 enterprises in 2011, with net operating revenue of R$ 1.0 trillion and R$ 591.6 billion of value added. The contingent of employed persons reached 11.4 million persons, accounting for R$ 202.7 billion paid as salaries, withdrawals and other compensation. The certainty stratum (enterprises with 20 or more employed persons) was made of 60.077 enterprises (5.6% of the total), generating a revenue of R$ 779.8 billion (77.6%), R$ 431.6 billion of value added (73.0%). The 7.6 million employed persons in the sector (66.4%) earned R$ 154.7 billion in salaries (76.3%). The certainty stratum, despite having a reduced number of enterprises, has a significant contribution to the income generation in services. Due to its importance, this stratum is covered by the Census, which enables a deeper detail level for each activity.

In the totality of PAS, two segments stood out in terms of the number of persons: professional, administrative and complementary services, with 340,032 enterprises (31.5%) and services rendered mainly to families, with 339,354 enterprises (31.4%). In terms of income generation, the enterprises of transportation, support activities for transportation were responsible for the largest share, R$ 288.4 billion (28.5%). Other relevant activities in terms of income generation were professional, administrative and complementary services, with R$ 268.3 billion (26.5%), and information and communication services, with R$ 259.4 billion (25.6%). Therefore, the three aforementioned activities were responsible for 80.6% of the net operating revenue generated by the activities that are covered by PAS.

Professional, administrative and complementary services had also the greatest share of value added, R$ 199.5 billion (33.7%), of the wage bill, R$ 74.6 billion (36.8%) and of the employed persons, 4.7 million persons (41.4%).

Food generates 66.1% of the income of services rendered to families

Among the services rendered to families, food activities, including restaurants, bars, snack bars, hawkers and  ready meal suppliers, generated the largest revenue, R$ 67.1 billion (66.1%), salaries, R$ 15.4 billion (61.0%), number of employed persons, 1,530 thousand persons (63.4%) and number of enterprises (206,899 or 61.0%) in 2011. Lodging services represented the largest average of employed persons per enterprise, 12 (against the average of 7 for the segment), and of average salary, 1.7 minimum wages, higher than the average of 1.5 minimum wages, together with the activities of continuing education (1.7 minimum wages). This service has also presented the highest productivity at work, R$ 28.7 thousand, among the services rendered to families. 

Telecommunication has R$ 142.4 billion of revenue in 2011

Information and communication services comprise activities relative to the creation, dissemination, broadcasting and storage of products with informative content. The enterprises record, on average, high productivity and salaries. In 2011, the highlights are the activities of telecommunication, which, in general, are large-scale and capital intensive, accounting for 4.8% of the total (4.3 mil), being responsible for the biggest net operating revenue (R$ 142.4 billion or 54.9%), the largest average of employed persons by enterprise (42, against the segment's average of  10) and of productivity (R$ 335.4 thousand). Information technology services posted the greatest contribution to the number of enterprises (63.6%, 57.0 thousand), employed persons (49.6%, 442.2 thousand) and of wage bill (52.9%, R$ 18.4 billion), presenting, as well, the highest average salary, 6.0 minimum wages.

Technical professional services employ 1 million persons

The enterprises of the segment of professional, administrative and complementary services give support to production. Technical professional services, comprising advisory, consultancy and scientific and technical specialized analysis, stood out for the great number of enterprises, 166.2 thousand (34.3%), for the generated revenue, R$ 111.6 billion (41.6%), and salaries paid, R$ 25.6 billion (34.3%), besides employing 1.0 million persons (21.4%). Technical professional services required qualified and trained labor force and, therefore, presented the greatest salary average, 3.7 minimum wages, whereas the general average was of 2.3, and the greatest productivity, R$ 82.4 mil. The average of employed persons in the enterprises of investigation, surveillance, security and transportation of valuables was 132, higher than that of personnel search, selection referral and placement activities, with 128 employed persons, both the activities were above the segment's average of 14 employed persons per enterprise.

Road transportation generates more than half of the revenue of its activity group

Transportation, support activities for transportation and mailing activities encompasses the services of passenger or cargo transportation, storing, loading and unloading service renders and other support activities for transportation, as mailing, delivery and pouch. In 2011, road transportation of passenger and cargo posted the greater contribution to the net revenue, R$ 149.9 billion (52.0%), to the number of enterprises, 114.1 mil (77.6%), to the wage bill, R$ 25.8 billion (51.4%), and to the quantity of employed persons, 1.5 million (65.5%). Transportation via pipeline registered the greatest productivity (R$ 1.1 million) and the highest salary, 11.2 minimum wages, against the 3.1 average for the group of transportation. The average of employed persons was also 579, higher than the general average of 16 persons, surpassed only by railway and subway transportation, which employed, on average, 902 persons in 2011.

Purchase, sale and rent of real estate make R$ 17 billion in 2011

Among real estate activities, the segment of purchase, sale and rent of real estate had 19.1 mil enterprises (59.6%), with a revenue of R$ 17.0 billion (69.7%) and paid R$ 1.2 billion (43.3%) in salaries, withdrawals and other compensation, with the highest productivity of the segment (R$ 195.4 thousand). The activity of intermediation in the purchase, sale and rent of real estate presented the greatest number of employed persons, 90.7 thousand (56.5%) and paid the highest salaries, withdrawals and other compensation, R$ 1.6 billion (56.7%), also presenting the biggest average of employed persons of the segment (7) and of average salary, 2.6 minimum wages.

Maintenance and repair of computer and communication equipment employ more than 240 thousand persons

Among the services of maintenance and repair, the 59.8 thousand enterprises of the activity of maintenance and repair of motor vehicles account for 61.5% of the sector. The activity generated a revenue of R$ 8.8 billion (54.1%) and wage bill of R$ 2.8 billion (56.7%), employing 240.9 thousand persons (61.8%). The activity maintenance and repair of communication and computer equipment were a highlight in terms of productivity, R$ 41.1 thousand against R$ 25.6 thousand of total of the segment, and average minimum wages of 2.4 against 1.8 of the segment.

Financial support services, for insurance and complementary pension funding generate R$ 30.7 billion in 2011

Other activities of service also gather those not included in the other segments, such as support services for agriculture, livestock farming and forestry; financial support services, for insurance and complementary pension funding; and services of sewage, collection, residues and material recovery. In 2011, financial support services, for insurance and complementary pension funding comprised 66.4% of the enterprises of this segment (23.8 thousand), 58.0% of the net operating revenue (R$ 30.7 billion) and 53.1% of the salaries, withdrawals and other compensation (R$ 5.4 billion). The also stand out for their productivity (R$ 136.6 mil) and high average salaries (4.9 minimum wages). The enterprises that provide services of sewage cleaning, collection, residues and material recovery were responsible for 50.2% of the employed persons (246.9 thousand),as well as the greatest quantity of employed persons per enterprises, 43, against the average of the segment 14.

Southeast Region boosts the revenue in Services

The Southeast Region generated 66.6% of the gross revenue of services rendered in Brazil in 2011, which equals R$ 743.8 billion. The Southeast paid 67.4% of the salaries, withdrawals and other compensation (R$ 136.5 billion) and employed 60.7% of employed persons (6.9 million). The second greatest revenue was the South's, R$ 148.0 billion (13.3%), which presented a wage bill of R$ 27.8 billion (13.7%) and 1.8 million employed persons (15.6%). The North Region had the smallest contribution in all indicators, being responsible for 2.9% of the revenue, 2.4% of the salaries and 2.9% of the employed persons.

In terms of salaries, the greatest average was seen in the Southeast Region, 2.8 minimum wages, above the Brazilian average of 2.5 minimum wages. Conversely, the Northeast Region was the one with the smallest salary average, 1.9 minimum wages.