IBGE releases the results of the Monthly Employment Survey (PME) relative to July 2014 for the Metropolitan Areas of Recife, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Due to the strike of IBGE staff in several branches of the Institute, data on the Metropolitan Areas of Salvador and Porto Alegre are not available yet.

The Monthly Employment Survey visits around 44 thousand households in six Metropolitan Areas and produces several indicators on labor force, such as employment status, average real earnings and formal labor contract.

In relation to June, unemployment was considered stable in the four MAs

Between June and July 2014, the unemployment rate was considered stable in the four Metropolitan Areas that had their information brought out: Recife (6.6%), Belo Horizonte (4.1%), Rio de Janeiro (3.6%) and São Paulo (4.9%). In relation to July 2013, there was stability in Recife and Belo Horizonte, and drops in Rio de Janeiro and in São Paulo.

The unemployed population (jobless people in search for work) also held steady in the four Metropolitan Areas over the previous month. Compared to July 2013, the unemployed population was considered stable in Recife and Belo Horizonte, and fell in Rio de Janeiro (-26.4%) and in São Paulo (-17.5%).

In July, employment with a formal labor contract remains unchanged in the four areas

In relation to June, the employed population with a formal labor contract held steady in the four areas surveyed. In relation to July 2013, the only non-stable area was Belo Horizonte (-5.2%). As to workers without a formal labor contract, the four areas remained unchanged and just São Paulo posted a change (-19.4%) in the annual comparison.

In the month, Services up in Rio and, in the year, Industry down in BH

Analyzing the employed population by groups of activity, stability prevailed in both comparisons, except in Services rendered to enterprises of the Metropolitan Area of Rio de Janeiro (increase of 8.3% in the month) and in the Industry of the Metropolitan Area of Belo Horizonte (decrease of 8.1% in the year).

Average real earnings posted changes in the four MAs

The average usual real earnings of workers in Recife (R$ 1,513.10) rose in both comparisons (1.2% in the month and 5.0% in the year); in Belo Horizonte (R$ 1,898.70), there was stability in the month and drop (-2.1%) in the year; in Rio de Janeiro (R$ 2,285.60), highs in the month (0.7%) and in the year (8.9%) and in São Paulo (R$ 2,102.70), drops in the month (-0.5%) and a high in the year (1.6%).