The services sector registered a nominal growth of 3.7% in November when compared with the same month last year, below the rates recorded in October (5.2%) and in September (6.4%). Services rendered to families rose 4.4%; information and communication services, 1.0%; professional, administrative and complementary services, 6.6%; transportation, support activities for transportation and mailing activities, 3.9%; and other services, 6.4%. The cumulative rates in the year and in 12 months were 6.2% and 6.4%, respectively.

The Monthly Survey of Services (PMS) is the first short-term indicator that investigates the services sector in Brazil. It encompasses 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 can be accessed on page www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/indicadores/serviços/pms.

Table 1
Indicators of Nominal Revenue of the Services Sector, According to Groups of Activities
BRAZIL - November 2014

Source: IBGE, Diretoria de Pesquisas, Coordenação de Serviços e Comércio.

The rate of 1.0% registered by information and communication services (below the rates of 2.1% in October and of 2.7% in September) coupled with the rate of 6.6% recorded by professional, administrative and complementary services (below the rates of 11.3% in October and of 11.0% in September) were the factors that most contributed to position the November´s figure below that of October and at the lowest level of the time series started in January 2012.

Information and communication services, which was the activity with the highest weight in the formation of the overall rate of PMS (35.7%), reduced its relative participation from 13.5% in October to 8.1% in November. By weighting 20.5%, professional, administrative and complementary services also reduced its relative participation from 44.2% in October to 37.9% in November. Despite their lower weight in the structure of the services sector, services rendered to families (from 9.6% to 8.1%) and other services (from 13.5% to 10.8%) also reduced their relative participation. By weighting 30.7%, transportation, support activities for transportation and mailing activities increased its relative participation from 19.2% to 35.1%.

Table 3
Composition of the Monthly Rate of Services, According to Groups of Activities
BRAZIL - November 2014

Source: IBGE, Diretoria de Pesquisas, Coordenação de Serviços e Comércio.

Services rendered to families changed 4.4% in November over the same month a year ago, below the rates posted in October (6.8%) and in September (7.7%). Concerning the cumulative rates, both the cumulative rate in the year and in 12 months changed 9.2%. Housing and food services rose 4.7% and other services rendered to families, 2.4%. Services rendered to families contributed with 0.3 p.p. and 8.1% in terms of absolute and relative participation, respectively, to the overall index.

Information and communication services recorded a growth of 1.0% in November, below the rates of October (2.1%) and September (2.7%). Information and communication technology services - ICT changed 1.4% and audiovisual, publishing and news agency servicesrecorded a negative change of -1.0%. It should be highlighted that the increase of 1.4% in information and communication technology services - ICT was mainly due to the price reduction in the telephone fares. The segment of information and communication services posted 0.3 p.p. in terms of absolute participation and 8.1% in terms of relative participation in the overall index.

Professional, administrative and complementary services rose 6.6% in November, below the rates in October (11.3%) and in September (11.0%). Technical-professional services, which encompass knowledge-intensive services, grew 2.4% and administrative and complementary services, which encompass labor-intensive services, 8.2%. By absolutely contributing with 1.4 p.p., this segment contributed with 37.9% in relative terms to the overall index.

The segment of transportation, support activities for transportation and mailing activities registered a nominal growth of 3.9% in November, above the rate in October (3.1%) and below that in September (6.5%). In terms of mode, the figures were: land transportation(3.8%), waterway transportation (15.9%) and air transportation (2.2%). The segment of warehousing services, support activities for transportation and mailing activities posted a growth of 2.8%. The segment of transportation, support activities for transportation and mailing activities contributed with 1.3 p.p. in absolute terms and, in relative terms, contributed with 35.1% to the overall index.

The segment of other services recorded a nominal growth rate of 6.4%, below the rates in October (11.4%) and in September (9.0%). In absolute terms, this segment contributed with 0.4 p.p. and, in relative terms, with 10.8% to the overall index.

Four states register negative rates in November

In regional terms, the highest changes in November were recorded in Bahia (16.3%), Ceará (9.1%) and Alagoas (8.5%). The lowest positive rates were posted in Pernambuco and Mato Grosso do Sul (both with 0.8%), Goiás (1.1%) and Pará (1.3%). The following Federation Units posted negative nominal changes: Amapá (-5.3%), Roraima (-3.4%), Rondônia (-3.2%) and Mato Grosso (-2.1%).

Graph 7
Change rate of nominal revenue of the Services sector, by
Federation Unit, according to Month/Same month a year ago index

Source: IBGE, Diretoria de Pesquisas, Coordenação de Serviços e Comércio