The unemployment rate of December was estimated at 4.3%, the lowest since the beginning of the time series (March 2002). The rate recorded a change of 0.3 percentage points over November 2013 (4.6%) and remained virtually unchanged in relation to December last year (4.6%). As a result, on the average of the 12 months of 2013, the unemployment rate stayed at 5.4%, also the lowest annual average, down 0.1 p.p. in comparison with that of 2012 (5.5%) and 7.0 p.p. below the average of 2003 (12.4%). 

The unemployed population (1.1 million persons) dropped 6.2% in relation to November (less 70 thousand persons searching for work) and held steady in relation to December last year. In 2013, the unemployed accounted for 1.3 million persons on average, 0.1% less than in 2012, representing less 20 thousand unemployed persons in one year. In relation to 2003 (2.6 million), the volume of unemployed persons dropped 49.5%, that is, the reduction hit 1.3 million people in this period.

The employed population (23.3 million) was stable in the comparisons with the prior month and with December 2012.  On 2013's average, the employed persons totaled 23.1 million people, 0.7% above 2012's (23.0 million) and 24.8% higher than 2003's.

The number of workers with a formal contract in the private sector (11.8 million) did not record change in relation to November. In the annual comparison, there was an increase of 2.0%, accounting for additional 236 thousand jobs with a formal contract. These results led to a record in the proportion of workers with a formal contract (11.6 million) on the average of 2013 in relation to the total employed persons: 50.3%, against 49.2% in 2012 and 39.7% in 2003.

The average real income usually earned of the employed (R$ 1,966.90) was 0.7% lower than November's (R$ 1,981.08) and 3.2% above that of December 2012 (R$ 1,905.68). The annual average of the monthly average income usually earned in the main job was estimated at R$ 1,929.03, accounting for a growth of 1.8% in relation to 2012 (R$ 1,894.03). Between 2003 and 2013, the purchasing power of the income from work increased by 29.6% (in 2003 it was R$ 1,488.48 reais).

The volume of income usually earned (R$ 46.4 billion) fell 0.4% in relation to November and increased 2.9% in relation to December 2012. The volume of effective real income of the employed (R$ 49.2 billion), estimated in November 2013, rose by 5.7% in the month and 0.9% in the year (this volume results from the sum of all jobs of the employed population). The volume of the monthly real income usually earned (annual average) estimated for 2013, R$ 45.0 billion, in the six Metropolitan Areas, led to an increase of 2.6% in relation to 2012 and of 61.1% compared with 2003.

The Monthly Employment Survey (PME) is conducted in the Metropolitan Areas of Recife, Salvador, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Porto Alegre.  The complete publication can be accessed at www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/indicadores/trabalhoerendimento/pme_nova/

The complete publication of Labor Market in Retrospective - 2003-2013 can be accessed at www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/indicadores/trabalhoerendimento/pme_nova/estudos_retrospectiva.shtm.

Average unemployment rate of 2013 is below 2003's by 7.0 percentage points

In 2013, there was an average volume of 1.3 million unemployed persons, 1.5% below 2012's average, which represented 20 thousand less unemployed workers in a year. In relation to 2003 (2.6 million), the volume of unemployed persons dropped 49.5%, that is, the reduction hit 1.3 million people in this period.

The unemployment rate (proportion of unemployed persons in relation to the economically active population - which comprises the employed and unemployed) of 2013 (average of January-December) was estimated at 5.4%, 0.1 percentage points below that of 2012 (5.5%). In the comparison with 2003, when the rate was estimated at 12.4%, the reduction was of 7.0 percentage points.

The survey shows discrepancies between the incomes of men and women and between white and brown/black people as well. In 2013, on average, women earned around 73.6% of the income earned by men (R$ 1,614.95 against R$ 2,195.30). The lowest proportion was recorded in 2007, 70.5%.

Regarding the classification by groups of activities, the highest increase in the average real income usually earned  against December 2012 was of 8,2%, in Domestic Services:

Conversely, in the classification by employment type, the highest increase in the average real income usually earned compared with December a year ago was for Workers without a formal contract in the private sector (8.6%):

The average real income usually earned is the gross earnings of a person in a full month of work It is usually earned because it does not take into account sporadic earnings (like bonuses, overtime, occasional discounts), as opposed to the effective income. It is real because the figures are updated by the INPC (of each area or the weighted average) at prices of the latest result published of the time series, allowing deflated comparisons. The concepts of PME are detailed in the Survey Methodology, available at www.ibge.gov.br/home/estatistica/indicadores/trabalhoerendimento/pme_nova/.

The employment-population ratio (proportion of employed persons in relation to the working-age population) was 54.0% in 2013, considered stable in relation to 2012 (54.2%).  Compared to 2003, when this indicator was 50.0%, the increase was of 4.0 percentage points.

The employed population encompasses 54.0% of men (12.5 million persons) and 46.0% of women (10.6 million persons) in 2013. Women are still a minority in the employed population, but their participation has been growing. In the beginning of the annual series, in 2003, they represented 43.0% of the employed population, growing 3.0 percentage points since then.

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and personal and household objects and retail trade of automotive fuel kept the top position with the greatest proportion of employed persons, 18.8%. In relation to 2012, there were more relevant changes in education, health, social services, public administration, defense and social security (16.3% to 16.9) and in domestic services (6.6% to 6.1%). In relation to the estimates of 2003, the group with the greatest participation gain was services rendered to enterprises, renting, real estate and financial intermediation  (13.4% in 2003 to 16.2% in 2013), and those with losses were mining and quarrying, manufacturing industries and electricity, gas and water supply (17.6% to 15.8%); wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and personal and household objects and retail trade of automotive fuel (20.2% to 18.8%) and domestic services (7.6% to 6.1%).

Workers with a formal contract are 50.3% of the employed

In 2013, 11.6 million of employees had a formal labor contract in the private sector. The percentage of workers with a formal contract in relation to the total of employed persons moved from 49.2% in 2012 to 50.3% in 2013. In 2003, they were 39.7% of the employed persons.

The percentage of employed persons who contributed to social security in 2013 reached 74.4%, 1.6 percentage points higher than in 2012 (72.8%) and the highest since 2003 (61.2%). The percentage of 2013 corresponded to 17.2 million persons. Comparing to 2003, the number of contributors who are employed increased 51.6%, while, in that same period, the employed population increased 24.8%. Throughout 10 years, the total of employed contributors grew 5.9 million persons.

Persons aged 50 or over represented 23.6% of the employed population

According to the age groups, in 2013 the employed population was formed by 0.1% of persons aged 10 to 14, 1.4% aged 15 to 17 , 13.0% aged 18 to 24 , 62.0% aged 25 to 49 and 23.6% of persons aged 50 or over. Even though presenting a great concentration in the group aged 25 to 49, the participation of the aforementioned age groups has been rising just among those aged 50 or over (16.7% in 2003).

Workers aged 11 or over are 63.8% of the employed population

From 2012 to 2013, the level of schooling of the population aged 10 or over with 11 or more years of schooling increased from 47.2% to 48.5%. In 2003, the figure was 34.3%. Among workers, the rise in the population aged 11 or more years of schooling was also noticed, from 62.2%, in 2012, to 63.8%, in 2013. In 2003, the percentage was 46.7%, that is to say, it grew 17.1 percentage points compared to 2003.

While the number of employed persons increased 0.7% between 2012 and 2013, that of persons with higher education grew 6.0%. Against 2003, those changes were 24.8% and 86.1%, respectively, in the employed population and the employed population with higher education.

In 2013, the employed population had an average of 40.1 effectively worked hours, against 41.3 hours in 2003. São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro presented weekly hours (both with 40.5 hours) above the average of the six Areas.

Average income from work increases, but discrepancies persist

In 2013, the annual average of the monthly average income usually earned in the main job was estimated at R$ 1,929.03 (the highest since 2003), accounting for a growth of 1.8% in relation to 2012 (R$ 1,894.03). Between 2003 and 2013, the power of purchase of the income from work increased by 29.6% (in 2003, it was R$ 1,488.48 reais).

The income from work of black or brown people, between 2003 and 2013, posted an increase of 51.4%, whereas the income of white workers grew 27.8%. But the survey also registered that black or brown workers earned on average, in 2013, a little more than half (57.4%) of the income earned by white workers - the annual income averages were R$ 1.374,79 for black or brown workers, whereas the average of white workers was R$ 2.396,74. In 2012, the ratio was 56.1% and, in 2003, it did not reach half of the figure (48.4%).

From 2012 to 2013, income has increased for the following: workers without a formal contract in the private sector (2.6%, increasing to R$ 1,430.93), workers with a formal labor contract in the private sector (2.1%, up to R$ 1,771.44) and self-employed workers (1.3%, increasing to R$ 1.659.19). There was decrease for employers (-4.1%, down to R$ 4,687.84) and military and statutory civil servants (-0.6%, staying at R$ 3,276.41).

All groups of activity presented income gains between 2012 and 2013: domestic service (6.2%, up to R$ 814,93); construction (3.7%, up to R$ 1,658.75); mining and quarrying (2.4%, rising to R$ 2,010.79); wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and personal and household objects and retail trade of automotive fuel (1.4%, going to R$ 1,525.36); services rendered to enterprises, renting, real estate and financial intermediation (0.8%, staying at R$ 2,431.13); other services - housing, transportation, urban cleaning and personal services  (0.6%, going to R$ 1,676.90); education, health, social service, public administration, defense and social security (0.3%, staying at R$ 2,628.34). In the comparison between 2003 and 2013, domestic services posted the biggest rise among the groups, 62.6%. Another highlight was construction, with a gain of 48.7% in the period.

The per capita household income increased by 2.4% between 2012 (R$ 1,278.92) and 2013 (R$ 1,309.85).  Between 2003 (R$ 897,17) and 2013, the growth reached 46.0%.

The volume of the monthly real income usually earned (annual average) was estimated for 2013 at R$ 45.0 billion, in the six Metropolitan Areas, leading to an increase of 2.6% in relation to 2012 (R$ 43.9 billion). Compared with 2003 (R$ 27.9 billion), the rise was of 61.1%. 

December 2013: unemployment down to 4.3%

The unemployment rate (proportion of unemployed persons in relation to the economically active population - which comprises the employed and unemployed) was estimated at 4.3% for the six Metropolitan Areas. Among the areas there were not any significant changes. However, the rate reached the lowest levels in Belo Horizonte (3.4%), Rio de Janeiro (3.7%), São Paulo (4.4%) and Porto Alegre (2.6%). In relation to December 2012, the rate rose 2.0 percentage points in Salvador (5.7% to 7.7%), in São Paulo, it fell 0.8 percentage points (5.2% to 4.4%) and in Porto Alegre, even though stable at 2.6%, it kept the same level of November, when it reached the lowest value of the series in this area:

In the monthly analysis, the unemployed contingent (jobless people trying to get in the market) was stable in the areas surveyed against November. In the comparison with December 2012, there was a 42.9% increase in the number of the unemployed in the Metropolitan Area of Salvador and decrease of 17.6% in São Paulo.

The employment-population ratio (proportion of employed persons in relation to the working- age population) was estimated in December 2013 at 54.2% for the six areas, the same percentage was seen in the months of October and November 2013.  In the comparison with December 2012 (55.1%), this indicator had a reduction of 0.9 percentage points. Among the regions, in the monthly comparison, there was stability and in the comparison with December 2012, two areas posted drops: Belo Horizonte, down 1.6 percentage points and São Paulo, down 1.4 percentage points.

In the employment analysis, according to groups of activity, there was no significant change in relation to November. In relation to December 2012, there was a 3.4% rise in Education, Health, Social Services, Public Administration, Defense and Social Security; a fall of 8.6% in Domestic Services and stability in the other groups.

In the analysis by area, the workers’ average real income usually earned (R$ 1,966.90 in the total of the six areas), in relation to November 2013, rose in Rio de Janeiro (0.6%), did not change in Salvador and contracted in Porto Alegre (2.9%), São Paulo (1.1%), Belo Horizonte (1.0%) and Recife (0.8%). In the comparison with December 2012, the income had a rise in Rio de Janeiro (7.3%), Porto Alegre (5.9%), São Paulo (3.7%) and Recife (1.7%). There was decrease in Salvador (10.5%) and in Belo Horizonte (0.7%).

Employed population increases by 0.7% from 2012 to 2013

The employed population analyzed in the areas investigated by PME in 2013 (average of January-December) was of 23.1 million persons, 0.7% higher than that of 2012 (23.0 million), a rise of almost 160 thousand persons. In comparison with 2003's estimate, the employed population rose by 24.8%, which represented additional 4.6 million employed persons in 10 years. In the same period the working age population grew 15.7%.