The unemployment rate was estimated at 4.8% in November 2014 for the group of the six metropolitan areas surveyed. The rate did not change significantly against October (4.7%). Compared with November 2013 (4.6%), the rate remained stable. The unemployed population (1.2 million persons) did not change either against October or November 2013. The employed population was estimated at 23.4 million persons in all the six areas, not registering any significant change in relation to October. This contingent also remained stable against November 2013.  The number of workers with a formal contract in the private sector (11.8 million) did not change against October and also remained stable when compared with November 2013.

The average usual real earnings of workers was estimated at R$ 2,148.50. This result stood 0.7% above that registered in the previous month (R$ 2,132.84) and 2.7% above that recorded in November 2013 (R$ 2,091.57). The average usual real wage bill of employed persons was estimated at 50.9 billion in November 2014, recording a rise of 1.1% in relation to last October. This estimate rose 3.0% in the annual comparison. The actual real wage bill of employed persons (R$ 51.1 billion), estimated in October 2014, changed 1.2% in the month and 3.5% in the year.

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/.

In regional terms, the unemployment rate in the metropolitan area of Salvador increased 1.1 percentage points (from 8.5% to 9.6%) and did not change in the other areas. In relation to November 2013, the rate increased 1.6 percentage points in Porto Alegre (from 2.6% to 4.2%) and 1.4 percentage points in Salvador (from 8.2% to 9.6%). No significant change was registered in the other areas.

The contingent of unemployed persons was estimated at 1.2 million persons in all the six areas surveyed and did not change compared with October 2014 and November 2013. Compared with October, the contingent of unemployed persons increased in Salvador (14.4%) and remained stable in the other areas. Compared with November 2013, the unemployment rate increased 23.1% in Salvador and 68.9% in Porto Alegre. No statistical significant change was recorded in the other areas.

Employment level remains stable at 53.8%

Estimated at 53.8% in November 2014 for all the six areas surveyed, the employment population ratio (proportion of employed persons in relation to persons at working age) remained stable in relation to the previous month (53.6%). This indicator also remained stable against November last year (54.2%). In regional terms, the monthly comparison posted stable figures in all the areas and against November last year, though it registered a decrease of 2.3 percentage points in the metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte (from 56.9% to 54.6%). 

All the contingents of employed persons by groups of activity were stable between October and November 2014. Other services recorded a rise of 4.0% compared with November a year ago.

In the annual comparison, average earnings drop in three areas

In regional terms, earnings rose in São Paulo (2.6%) and Porto Alegre (0.8%); reduced in Recife (-1.4%), Salvador (-2.4%) and Belo Horizonte (-2.7%) and remained stable in Rio de Janeiro in relation to October. Compared with November 2013, earnings remained stable in the metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte and increased in the other areas, highlighted by Salvador (7.5%) and Rio de Janeiro (4.3%).

The average usual real wage bill of employed persons was estimated at 50.9 billion in November 2014, recording a rise of 1.1% in relation to last October. This estimate rose 3.0% in the annual comparison.

Considering the classification by groups of activity for all the six areas, the highest increase in the average usual real earnings in relation to October 2014 was registered in services rendered to enterprises, renting, real estate activities and financial intermediation (3.4%), and the highest drop was recorded in the group of mining and quarrying industry, manufacturing industry and electricity, gas and water supply (-2.0%). In the annual comparison, construction  increased 6.7% and mining and quarrying industry, manufacturing industry and electricity, gas and water supply dropped -1.7%.

Considering the classification by employment type categories, the highest increase in the average usual real earnings was registered among those employed in the private sector without a formal contract (3.8%) in the monthly comparison, and among military and public servants (3.2%) in the annual comparison.