The services sector in Brazil registered a nominal growth of 6.6% in August 2013 in relation to the same month in 2012, below the rates reported in July (9.1%) and June (8.8%). Services rendered to families changed 11.3%; Information and communication services, 4.8%; Professional, administrative and complementary services, 6.6%; Transportation, support activities for transportation and mailing activities, 8.0%; and Other services, 3.6%. The nominal growth cumulative in the year stood at 8.3% and the cumulative in 12 months, at 8.6%. The growth rate in August was the second smallest since the beginning of the time series (Jan/2012), only above that recorded in March, when the index reached 6.1%.    

The Monthly Survey of Services (PMS) is the first short-term indicator that investigates the services sector in Brazil. It encompasses the activities comprising non-financial business segments, except the sectors of health, education, public administration and imputed rent (value the owners would earn in case they rented the properties where they live). The complete publication can be accessed on page www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/indicadores/serviços/pms.

As to the cumulative rate in 2013, the sector of Transportation, support activities for transportation and mailing activities registered the highest growth (10.7%). The highlight was Air and waterway transportation, which grew 17.0% and 16.6%, respectively. Services rendered to families recorded the second highest cumulative growth (10.0%), among which Housing and food services rose 10.8%. Professional, administrative and complementary services posted a cumulative growth of 8.1%, Information and communication services, 6.6% and Other services, 4.7%.    

The sector of Services rendered to families grew 11.3% in August over the same month last year, below the rate reported in July (12.8%) and above that of June (9.0%). The highlights in this sector were Housing and food services, which grew 12.2%, and Other services rendered to families, which rose 6.3%. This sector accounted for 10.6% of relative contribution and 0.7 p.p. of absolute contribution to the overall rate.

Information and communication services recorded a growth of 4.8%, below the rates of July (7.0%) and June (7.6%). Information and communication technology services - ICT, which comprise telecommunications and information technology services, posted a change of 5.7%, whereas Audiovisual, publishing and news agency services declined 0.8%. The sector of Information and communication services accounted for 24.2% of relative contribution and 1.6 p.p. of absolute contribution to the overall index.

Professional, administrative and complementary services rose 6.6% in August over the same month a year ago, against 8.6% in July and 7.9% in June. Technical-professional services, which encompass knowledge-intensive services, grew 6.2% and Administrative and complementary services, which encompass labor-intensive services, 6.8%. By relatively contributing with 21.2%, this segment contributed with 1.4 p.p. in absolute terms to the overall index.

The sector of Transportation, support activities for transportation and mailing activities registered a nominal growth of 8.0% in August over the same month last year, below the rates reported in July (12.5%) and June (10.1%). In the last 12 months, the rates recorded in August and March (7.9%) were the smallest reported in the time series. The analysis of the rates by type revealed that the highest growth rates were posted by Air transportation (22.1%) and by Waterway transportation (17.4%). Road transportation registered a growth of 8.4% and Warehousing services, support activities for transportation and mailing activities recorded a lower change (2.1%). In relative terms, this segment contributed with 39.4% and, in absolute terms, with 2.6 p.p. to the overall index.

The segment of Other services registered a nominal increase of 3.6%.

Amapá is the only FU with negative change in August (-1.7%)

The data by Federation Unit revealed that only Amapá registered a negative nominal change in August (-1.7%) over the same month in 2012. The highest rates were reported by Mato Grosso (20.6%), the Federal District and Tocantins (both with 15.2%), Alagoas (14.7%) and Mato Grosso do Sul (13.9%). The lowest positive rates were posted in Pernambuco (3.8%), Roraima (1.2%) and Acre (1.0%).

As to Services rendered to families, the highest growth rates were registered in Ceará (23.5%), Goiás (22.0%) and Paraná (19.9%). The lowest rates were recorded in Pernambuco (6.9%), Rio Grande do Sul (5.0%) and Bahia (4.7%).

As to Information and communication services, the Federal District was the highlight with the highest growth rate (14.5%), followed by Rio Grande do Sul (12.2%) and Ceará (11.5%). The lowest rates were reported in Pernambuco and Rio de Janeiro, with 4.5% on average, Paraná and Bahia (both with 2.7%) and São Paulo (2.4%).

In regard to Professional, administrative and complementary services, Bahia was the highlight with the highest growth rate (19.2%), followed by Espírito Santo (16.0%) and the Federal District (11.4%).  The lowest positive changes were reported in Goiás and Ceará (both with 3.1%), Paraná (2.6%) and Minas Gerais (1.7%). Negative nominal changes were reported in Pernambuco (-3.7%) and Rio Grande do Sul (-12.6%).

In the segment of Transportation, support activities for transportation and mailing activities, the highlights were Bahia (15.6%), the Federal District (13.4%) and Ceará (11.6%), with the highest changes over the same month a year ago. The lowest changes were registered in Rio de Janeiro (5.7%), Minas Gerais (4.3%) and Espírito Santo (3.7%).

As to the segment Other services, the highest rates were recorded in the Federal District (32.7%), Rio Grande do Sul (16.9%) and Goiás (14.7%). The lowest rates were recorded in Espírito Santo (3.7%), Pernambuco (2.8%), Paraná (2.7%), São Paulo (2.2%) and Ceará (1.7%).  Rio de Janeiro posted a negative change (-2.6%).