The unemployment rate of January was estimated at 4.8%, recording a high of 0.5 percentage points over December (4.3%), and a 0.6 percentage points drop in the comparison with January a year ago (5.4%). The employment population (1.2 million persons) recorded increase of 9.6% over December and stayed 12.6% lower in relation to January 2013. The employed population (23.1 million) declined 0.9% in relation to December and remained unchanged in the comparison with January last year. The number of workers with a formal contract in the private sector (11.8 million) held steady in relation to December over January 2013. The average usual real earnings of the employed persons (R$ 1,983.80) was stable over December (R$ $1,979.14) and 3.6% above that of January 2013 (R$ 1,915.63). The average usual real wage bill (R$ 46.2 billion), in January 2014, had a fall (1.0%) in relation to December and grew 3.3% in relation to December a year ago.  The actual real wage bill of the salaried persons (R$ 56.7 billion in December 2013) grew 14.5% in the comparison with November 2013 and fell 0.9% in the comparison with December 2012.

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 can be accessed at www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/indicadores/trabalhoerendimento/pme_nova/.

Unemployment grows in two areas in comparison with December figures

By area, the monthly analysis showed that the unemployment rate recorded significant changes in the metropolitan areas of Recife (where it rose from 5.9% to 7.4%) and São Paulo (from 4.4% to 5.0%). In comparison with January last year, the rate increased 1.7 percentage points in Salvador, fell 1.4 in São Paulo and 0.7 percentage points in Porto Alegre and in Rio de Janeiro. 

In the classification by categories of employment type, the biggest increases in the average usual real earnings were those of military and statutory civil servants (2.8%), in the comparison by month, and of workers without a formal contract in the private sector (7.0%), in the annual comparison. 

The number of unemployed persons (those without a job who are trying to enter the job market) in January 2014 was estimated at 1.2 million persons in the group of six metropolitan areas, recording increase of 9.6% versus December.  In relation to January 2013, this figure was 12.6% smaller. The analysis by area shows that the number of unemployed, in relation to last December, rose in Recife (23.5%) and in São Paulo (14.9%), having remained stable in the other areas. In comparison with January 2013, there was increase of 33.3% in the number of unemployed persons in the metropolitan area of Salvador and decreases of 23.2% in São Paulo, 22.6% in Porto Alegre and 16.8% in Rio de Janeiro.

Employment population ratio stays at 53.7%

The employment population ratio (proportion of employed persons in relation to those at working age) was estimated at 53.7% in the group of six metropolitan areas, presenting decrease of 0.5 percentage points in comparison with the previous year. Versus January 2013 (54.4%), this indicator fell by 0.7 percentage points. By area, there was stability; four of them recorded decrease versus figures of November last year: Belo Horizonte and São Paulo, 1.2 and 1.0 percentage points, respectively. 

The analysis of the number of employed persons by activity groups in relation to December 2013 shows decline in Trade (-2.3% or 105 thousand persons less) and Education, health, public administration  (-2.7% or 108 thousand persons less).  In comparison with January 2013, there was stability in all the groups. 

In the annual comparison, average earnings increased in five of the six areas

By area, versus December, the earnings of workers increased in the metropolitan areas of Porto Alegre (3.8%), Belo Horizonte (2.5%) and Recife (1.1%), recorded decrease in Salvador (1.0%) and in Rio de Janeiro (0.8%), being stable in São Paulo. In comparison with January last year, earnings increased in Porto Alegre (7.7%), Rio de Janeiro (7.3%), Recife (3.5%), São Paulo (2.9%) and Belo Horizonte (1.6%). Decline was  recorded by Salvador (7.8%). 

In the classification by activity groups for the total of six areas, the biggest increase in the average usual real earnings versus figures of December 2014 came from Trade (1.4%), and the biggest one from Construction  (-1.3%).  In the annual comparison, there was increase of 7.5% in Domestic services, and stability  in Services rendered to enterprises. No group recorded decrease.