The services sector in Brazil posted a nominal growth of 9.6% in September 2013, in relation to the same month in 2012, above the rates seen in August (6.6%) and July (9.1%). Services rendered to families registered a change of 9.5%, Information and communication services, of 8.1%, Professional, administrative and complementary services, of 9.0%, Transportation, support activities for transportation and mailing activities, of 12.1% and Other services, of 7.0%. The nominal growth cumulative in the year stayed at 8.4% and the one cumulative in 12 months, at 8.7%.

The growth rate in September stayed at the same level as that recorded in January 2013 and only below the rates registered in October 2012 (11.7%) and April 2013 (11.6%).

The Monthly Survey of Services (PMS), first short-term indicator of services in the country, covers the activities 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 of the survey can be accessed at www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/indicadores/servicos/pms

Cumulative results in the year show that, in the nine months of 2013, the nominal increase over that of the same period in 2012 stayed at 8.4%. In this period, the segment of Transportation, support activities to transportation and mailing activities had the biggest cumulative increase (10.9%), the main highlight being Air and sea transportation, with increases of 17.8% and 17.3%, respectively. Services rendered to families recorded the second main cumulative increase, with 10.0%, in which Housing and food services increased 10.7%.  Professional, administrative and complementary services accounted for cumulative increase of 8.2%; Information and communication services, for 6.8% and Other services, for 5.0%.

The segment of Services rendered to families recorded, in Brazil, change of 9.5% in September over the same month a year before, a figure below the rates of August (11.6%) ans July (12.8%). In this segment the highlights are Housing and food services, with increase of 9.8% and Other services rendered to families, with change of 7.5%.

Information and communication services recorded increase of 8.1%, above the rates of August (4.8%) and July (7.0%). Information and communication technology services - ICT, which encompasses Services of information and communication technology, recorded change of 8.0%; and Audiovisual, publishing and news agency services recorded increase of 8.5%. The segment of Information and communication services represented 29.1% in terms of relative contribution in the month, accounting for 2.8 percentage points to the composition of the general index.

The increase of Professional, administrative and complementary services was 9.0% in September, in the month-on-month comparison, versus 6.3% in August and 8.6% in July. Technical-professional services, which encompass intensive services in terms of knowledge, increased 7.1%; and Administrative and complementary services, which encompass intensive services in terms of workforce, increased 9.8%. With relative contribution of 19.8%, this segment accounted, in absolute terms, for 1.9 percentage points of the general index.  

The segment Transportation, support activities to transportation and mailing activities accounted for nominal increase of 12.1% in September, in comparison with the same month a year ago, with a rate above that of August (8.2%) and below the one of July (12.5%). In the analysis of rates by type, the data show that the biggest increase rates comin from Air transportation (23.9%) and Sea transportation (21.7%).  Land transportation recorded increase of 11.3% and Warehousing services, support activities to transportation and mailing activities registered change of 8.8%. With relative contribution of 39.6%, this segment accounted, in absolute terms, for 3.8 percentage points of the general index.  

The segment Other services recorded nominal increase of 7.0%.

In September, all the Federation units recorded positive changes

The data show that, in September, all the Federation units recorded positive nominal change in relation to the same period in 2012. Amapá registered the lowest change (1.3%), followed by Roraima (3.4%) and Sergipe (5.4%).  The highest rates were those of Mato Grosso (19.8%), Federal District (19.4%) and Tocantins (18.7%). Paraíba and Santa Catarina were other highlights, with very significant rates, that is, 16.4% and 14.6%, respectively (Graph 3). 

In the segment Services rendered to families, in the selected Federation Units, the highest increase rates came from Ceará (16.8%), Paraná (12.2%) and Federal District and Minas Gerais (about 11.5%). The lowest rates were registered in Bahia (4.0%), Santa Catarina (5.6%), Espírito Santo (7.5%) and São Paulo (8.3%).

In the segment Information and Communication services, Goiás was a highlight with the highest increase rate (16.7%), followed by the Federal District (14.0%) and Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina and Ceará (about 11.4%). The lowest rates were those of Rio Grande do Sul (0.2%), São Paulo (6.7%) and Minas Gerais (7.2%).

With reference to the segment Professional, administrative and complementary services, the highlight is the Federal District, with the highest increase rate (20.6%), followed by Espírito Santo (13.4%) and Bahia (13.0%). The lowest positive changes were recorded in Rio de Janeiro (6.7%), Ceará and Minas Gerais (both with 7.2%) and Paraná (7.5%). There were negative nominal changes in Goiás (-5.5%) and Rio Grande do Sul (-3.3%).

In the segment Transportation, auxiliary services to transportation and mailing, the highlights, among the selected Federation Units, were: Santa Catarina (20.6%), Federal District (18.8%) and Rio Grande do Sul (17.3%), with the main changes over results of the same month a year ago. The lowest changes were those of Espírito Santo (4.3%), Paraná (7.1%) and Bahia (8.9%).

In Other services, the biggest increases were observed in the Federal District (50.3%), Goiás (36.4%) and Santa Catarina (25.8%).  The lowest rates were recorded in Paraná (0.8%), Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro (about 2.8%) and Pernambuco (3.2%).

Revenue from services increases 8.4% in Q3 2013

The analysis of quarterly results evidences nominal increase of 8.4% in the 3rd quarter of 2013, in comparison with the 3rd quarter of 2012, below the increase observed in the 2nd quarter (9.2%) and above that observed in the 1st quarter (7.6%). 

 The highest rates were registered in the segments of Services rendered to families (11.3%) and Transportation, auxiliary services to transportation and mailing (10.9%).  Professional, administrative and complementary services accounted for cumulative increase of 8.0%; Information and communication services, for 6.6% and Other services, for 4.2%.