The number of workers in Industry increased 2.2% in 2007 compared to 2006, highest rate of the time series of the Monthly Survey of Industrial Employment and Wages, which began in 2001.  The real payroll registered increase of 5.4%, while the number of hours paid had expansion of 1.8% in the indicator accumulated of 2007.  From November to December, the industrial employment changed -0.5%, in the series seasonally adjusted, after five positive results.  In the comparison December 2007/ December 2006, a growth of 3.5% was registered.  In the quarterly analysis, the number of workers increased in the fourth quarter of 2007 compared to the same period of 2006 (3.6%) as well as in the comparison with the immediately previous quarter (1.1%).  The positive evolution of the indexes of industrial employment during the last year showed the major dynamism of the productive activity in 2007.

Salaried Employed Persons

The employment in Industry in 2007 registered expansion of 2.2% compared to 2006, with growth in fourteen localities surveyed and twelve among eighteen industrial groups.   The highlights were São Paulo (3.5%), which had the highest rate, Paraná (3.1%), Northeast Region (1.4%) and Minas Gerais (1.5%). Rio Grande do Sul, with a negative indicator during 2007, closed the year with a rate near zero, although positive (0.1%).  In the analysis by sectors stood out food products and beverages (4.0%), transportation (7.7%), metal products (7.3%) and machinery and equipment (7.0%).  Footwear and leather articles (-7.3%), apparel (-3.7%) and wood (-5.7%) had the main decreases of 2007.

In the comparison December 2007/ December 2006, employment increased 3.5%, eighteenth consecutive positive result, with expansion in twelve among fourteen localities and twelve among eighteen sectors surveyed.  São Paulo (5.6%), Paraná (5.5%), North and Central West Region (3.6%) and Minas Gerais (2.8%) brought the most significant contributions for the total of the country.  In these states, the number of workers increased mainly in the producing segments of durable consumer goods (automobiles and household appliances), capital goods, and typically exporting sectors, especially food products (commodities).  In terms of sectors, in the total of the country, the most significant positive results on the overall average came from transportation (12.3%), machinery and equipment (11.4%), metal products (11.5%), electronic and communication machines and equipment (12.8%) and food products and beverages (3.1%).  On the other hand, Espírito Santo (-4.4%) and Ceará (-0.3%) recorded the only two regional decreases, while footwear and leather articles (-8.9%), apparel (-3.0%) and wood (-5.6%) brought the most relevant negative results among the segments.

In the last quarter of 2007, employment in industry increased 3.6%, highest result since the value of 4.1% observed in the period October-December of 2004, both comparisons with the same quarter of the previous year.  This indicator maintained an ascending trend since the first quarter of 2006 and a sequence of six periods of positive rates.  The acceleration observed between the third (2.3%) and fourth (3.6%) quarters occurred in the major part of the activities (15) and localities surveyed (11).  Among the sectors stood out the increases of electronic and communication machines and equipment (from 5.2% to 11.1%), chemical products (from 0.9% to 5.6%), machinery and equipment (from 8.6% to 10.9%) and transportation (from 9.5% to 11.8%).   Among the localities, the highlights between the two periods were: Pernambuco, which changed from -3.7% to 0.4%, Bahia (from -0.9% to 2.6%), North and Central West Region (from 1.1% to 4.1%) and São Paulo (from 3.7% to 5.7%).

The acceleration in the industrial employment can be observed in several comparisons: the monthly indicator has been increasing since July 2006 and the quarterly index since the third quarter of 2006.  The comparison of the fourth quarter with the immediately previous quarter, series with seasonal adjustment, maintained a sequence of four periods of positive results and recorded the highest rate since the third quarter of 2004 (1.6%).  The negative change of 0.5%, observed from November to December, showed stabilization, since employment was increasing for five months in this type of comparison.   In the analysis by sectors, employment had better results in producing areas related to the domestic market, such as consumer durable goods (automobiles and household appliances) and segments related to food products and beverages, and machinery and equipment.

Number of hours paid

The indicator accumulated of the number of hours paid in 2007 showed expansion of 1.8%, a rhythm above the one observed in 2006 (0.4%).  In 2007, the increase had a generalized profile reaching thirteen among fourteen localities surveyed, especially São Paulo (3.0%), Paraná (3.5%), Northeast Region (1.4%) and North and Central West Region (2.0%).  Only locality with negative rate, Rio Grande do Sul (-0.5%) was influenced by the negative performance of the footwear industry, where the decrease in the number of hours paid reached – 17.1%.  In the analysis by sectors, twelve segments had expansion in the number of hours paid, with the following more relevant contributions: food products and beverages (3.9%), transportation (7.7%), metal products (6.9%) and machinery and equipment (6.6%).  On the other hand, footwear and leather articles (-9.6%) and apparel (-5.0%) brought the most significant negative influences. 

The number of hours paid to the workers of industry in December 2007 decreased 0.7%, in relation to November, in the series with seasonal adjustment, after increasing for four consecutive months, period in which it accumulated gain of 2.8%. 

In the comparison December 2007/ December 2006, the number of hours paid increased 3.0%, nineteenth consecutive positive result, with growth in eleven among fourteen localities and twelve among eighteen segments surveyed.  The major positive contributions came from transportation (12.4%), machinery and equipment (11.1%), metal products (10.2%) and electronic and communication machines and equipment (12.8%).  On the other hand, footwear and leather articles (-12.4%), apparel (-4.9%) and wood (-4.7%) brought the most important negative influences.  The localities which brought the most important positive results in the national result were: São Paulo (5.7%), North and Central West Region (4.2%) and Paraná (4.7%).  In the first, thirteen segments increased the number of hours paid, especially electronic and communication machines and equipment (21.6%), transportation (11.6%) and machinery and equipment (12.6%).  In the North and Central West Region, food products and beverages (13.3%) brought the major positive influence; and in Paraná, the most significant positive contributions came from transportation (37.0%) and machinery and equipment (15.2%).  On the other hand, the negative influences on the total of the country came from Espírito Santo (-5.4%), Rio de Janeiro (-0.9%) and Ceará (-0.6%).

In the quarterly analysis, the number of hours paid accelerated during the year, changing from 0.8% in the first quarter, to 1.4%, 2.0% and 2.9% in the following quarters, all comparisons with the same period of the previous year.  The result of 2.9% in the fourth quarter of the year represented the major expansion since the value of 4.0% recorded in the last period of 2004.  The major part of localities (10) and activities surveyed (12) showed gain between the two periods.  Among the sectors, the highlights were electronic and communication machines and equipment (from 4.6% to 11.2%), chemical products (from 0.2% to 3.6%), machinery and equipment (from 8.3% to 10.4%) and transportation (from 10.0% to 12.0%).  Bahia (from –1.8% to 1.9%), Pernambuco (from –2.7% to 0.2%), North and Central West Region (from 2.1% to 4.3%) and São Paulo (from 3.4% to 5.3%) stood out among the localities.

Real Payroll

The indicator of the accumulated real payroll for 2007 (5.4%) registered the major increase since the value of 9.7% recorded in 2004.  All the fourteen localities had increase in the value of the real payroll, and the major result was observed in São Paulo (4.7%), due to increases observed in transportation (8.1%), chemical products (14.2%) and electronic and communication machines and equipment (4.8%). Other relevant positive contributions came from Rio Grande do Sul (8.4%), Minas Gerais (6.7%) and Northeast Region (6.3%).  In the analysis by sectors, in national level, thirteen activities registered expansion in the overall wages, especially transportation (8.6%), chemical products (12.0%), food products and beverages (5.4%) and mining and quarrying (16.6%) which brought the most important positive results.  On the other hand, paper and printing (-3.8%), wood (-8.7%) and footwear and leather articles (-2.6%) figured as the main negative influences on the overall average. 

In December 2007, the value of the real payroll seasonally adjusted fell by 3.0% in relation to the immediately previous month, second consecutive negative rate, accumulating a loss of 6.2% in this period.  It is worth mentioning that until October, in this type of comparison, a growth for five consecutive months was observed, accumulating in this period a gain of 4.2%.  Still in the series with seasonal adjustment, in the comparison with the immediately previous quarter, the value of the real payroll in the last quarter of the year had loss of 0.6%, after increasing 1.1% in the period July-September. 

In the comparison December 07 / December 06, the value of the real payroll increased 6.8%, major expansion since the value of 10.7% of December 2004 and twenty-first consecutive positive rate.  For this performance contributed thirteen among fourteen localities surveyed, such as São Paulo (9.4%) which brought the major positive contribution, supported, mainly, by the gains observed in transportation (16.7%), chemical products (15.3%) and electronic and communication machines and equipment (20.7%). Following stood out the positive results from Rio Grande do Sul (9.3%), Minas Gerais (7.9%) and Northeast Region (4.5%). 

In these localities stood out respectively, the sectors of metal products (77.1%) and transportation (23.2%); basic metallurgy (9.7%) and machinery and equipment (26.8%); and apparel (18.3%) and paper and printing (23.3%).  On the other hand, the only decrease was observed in Espírito Santo (-6.5%).  Still in the monthly indicator, the value of the real payroll increased in fourteen among eighteen segments, with the major positive influences coming from transportation (17.1%), chemical products (9.8%), metal products (15.2%) and electronic and communication machines and equipment (12.3%).  On the other hand, the main decreases were observed in wood (-8.3%) and footwear and leather articles (-4.1%).

The fourth quarter of 2007 increased 6.4% compared to the same period of the previous year, a rhythm above the one registered in the first (4.6%) second (5.0%) and third (5.5%) quarters of the year. In the quarterly indexes, the real value of the payroll in industry has been presenting positive rates for sixteen consecutive periods, in the comparison with the same quarter of the previous year, and has been maintaining an ascending trend since the first quarter of 2006.  It is worth mentioning that the increase of 6.4% in these last months of 2007 is the highest since the value of 9.7% of the fourth quarter of 2004. 

Still in this type of comparison, five localities and ten sectors registered acceleration between the third and fourth quarters of 2007.  Among the localities, the highlights were Bahia, which changed from 5.2% to 9.1%, Minas Gerais (from 5.1% to 8.9%) and São Paulo (from 4.2% to 6.8%).  In the analysis by sectors stood out the gains which came from transportation (from 11.0% to 15.8%), chemical products (from 8.1% to 14.0%) and electronic and communication machines and equipment (from 4.2% to 10.6%).