It was the fourth consecutive decrease in the month/previous month comparison, in the series without seasonal adjustment. Compared to January 2008, there was decrease of 2.5%, the second consecutive negative rate and the lowest one in the time series which started in 2001. The index accumulated in the last 12 months (1.6%) decelerated and reached its lowest figure since September 2007 (1.5%). The number of hours paid was negative for the fourth consecutive time, both in relation to the previous month (seasonally adjusted series, -1.8%) and in relation to the same month in the previous year (-3.6%), being the latter the lowest rate in the time series. Real payroll faced decrease of 1.2% compared to December 2008 (with seasonal adjustment), but rose 1.2% compared to the figure in January 2008, the lowest result since December 2006 (0.5%).

SALARIED EMPLOYED PERSONS

In January, employment in industry decreased 1.3% in relation to the previous month, in the series without seasonal influences; it was the fourth consecutive negative result, with decrease of 3.9% accumulated since September last year. The quarterly moving average index of January (-1.3%) stimulated the decrease in comparison with the previous year (-0.9%), with retraction of 2.4% between September and January. Compared to January 2008, there was reduction by 2.5%, the second consecutive negative rate in this comparison and the lowest result in the time series. The indicator accumulated in the last twelve months, on a downward trend since August last year (3.0%), reached a rate of 1.6%, its lowest figure since September 2007 (1.5%).

Considering the monthly indicator, the number of workers was 2.5% lower than in January 2008, with decreases in most (13 out of 14) areas and in twelve of the eighteen subsectors surveyed. Employment decrease in São Paulo (-2.1%), North and Central West Region (-4.5%), Paraná (-4.5%) and Santa Catarina (-3.5%) were the most significant negative contributions to the total index in the country. In these states, the subsectors which contributed most significantly to the decrease of employment were:
apparel (-12.3%) and metal products (-6.4%) in the industry of São Paulo; wood (-19.3% and -24.1%) and apparel (-15.8% and -17.1%), respectively, in the North and Central West Region and in Paraná; and apparel (-13.8%) and other products from manufacturing industry (-15.3%), in Santa Catarina .

Considering the subsectors and the overall index in the country, the main negative impact to the overall rate were those of apparel (-8.2%), footwear and leather articles (-10.3%) and wood (-13.3%). It is worth mentioning that the subsectors of transportation, electronic material and communication equipment and machinery and equipment, which had been facing significant reduction of the rhythm of increase in the end of lat year, had negative rates in January: -1.9%, -0.3% and -0.7%, respectively. On the other hand, non-metallic minerals (3.2%), petroleum refining and alcohol production (10.5%) and paper and printing (1.9%) accounted for the main positive contributions.

The first result for employment in 2009 (-2.5%) was significantly below the index for the fourth quarter of 2008 (0.2%), both compared to the same period in the previous year. This change has taken place in thirteen subsectors, and the most significant decreases in the number of the employed population occurred in machinery and equipment which, after hike of 5.8% in the last quarter of 2008, had a rate of -0.7% in January; and in means of transportation, which changed from 4.0% to -1.9%. Also in the same comparison, most of the areas (13 out of 14) had rates below the ones in the previous quarter, especially: Minas Gerais (from 2.9% to -1.7%), São Paulo (from 0.5% to -2.1%), North and Central West Region (from -0.3% to -4.5%) and Rio Grande do Sul (from 1.0% to -2.8%).

NUMBER OF HOURS PAID 

The number of hours paid to industry workers, in January, decreased 1.8% in comparison with the hours in the immediately previous month, in the seasonally adjusted series. This was the consecutive negative rate, and there was decrease of 5.3% accumulated in the period. As a consequence, the quarterly moving average indicator, which had its upward trend interrupted in October, was -1.7% in January, thus  highlighting the decreases occurred in November (-0.4%) and December (-1.2%).

Compared to the same month in the previous year, the number of hours paid decreased 3.6% in January 2009; it is the lowest rate in the time series which started in 2001, and accelerated decrease compared to the last quarter of 2008 (-0.2%). The annualized rate, the indicator accumulated in the last twelve months (1.4%), was below that of December (1.9%) and has remained on a downward trend since September (2.7%).

The decrease of 3.6% in the number of hours paid in January, the third consecutive negative rate in this type of comparison, reached thirteen of the fourteen areas and thirteen of the eighteen subsectors surveyed. Among the areas which faced decrease are: São Paulo (-3.3%), followed by North and Central West Region (-6.3%), Paraná (-5.7%), Northeast Region (-3.0%) and Rio Grande do Sul (-4.1%). In the industry of São Paulo state, thirteen subsectors reduced the number of hours paid, being the highlights rubber and plastic (-11.3%), metal products (-6.8%), machinery and equipment (-6.1%), apparel (-9.9%) and footwear and leather (-18.3%). In the second area considered, the main subsectors accounting for the decrease were wood (-15.2%) and electronic material and communication equipment (-16.2%), whereas in the industry of Paraná state the highlights were wood (-24.3%), food products and beverages (-8.1%), apparel (-15.7%) and means of transportation (-15.0%). In the Northeast Region, footwear and leather (-6.7%) and food products and beverages (-2.2%) accounted for the main negative contributions, as well as in Rio Grande do Sul (-13.5% and -7.2%, respectively).

In terms of subsectors, also considering the monthly indicator, the main negative contributions came from apparel (-8.5%), footwear and leather (-10.6%), means of transportation (-5.8%), rubber and plastic (-7.8%), wood (-11.9%) and textiles (-8.0%). On the other hand, petroleum refining and alcohol production (13.9%) and paper and printing (3.8%) were the most significant positive highlights. It is worth mentioning that the subsectors of electronic material and communication equipment (-1.9%), means of transportation (-5.8%) and machinery and equipment (-3.8%), which led the expansion until the third quarter of the year in terms of level of increase, show clear deceleration in the number of hours paid compared to results in previous months.

The decrease of 3.6% in the result of January 2009 was significantly below the index of the fourth quarter of 2008; both compared to the same period in the previous year. This reduction of dynamism inn the number of hours paid between both periods occurred in thirteen of the fourteen areas and in fourteen of the eighteen activities surveyed. Among the subsectors, the highlights were machinery and equipment (from 5.3% to -3.8%), means of trasnsportation (from 2.6% to -5.8%) and metallurgy (from 7.7% to 1.0%), whereas among the subsectors the highlights were Minas Gerais (from 3.0% to -2.3%), São Paulo (from 0.1% to -3.3%), Rio de Janeiro (from 1.3% to -2.6%) and North and Central West Region (from -0.9% to -6.3%).

In summary, the negative results observed in the employment indexes and in the number of hours paid by industry are in accordance with the lower rhythm observed in the last four  months. The deceleration of these indicators was evident in the monthly comparison which presents, in both variables, the lowest rate in the time series and also decrease compared to the results of the last quarter of 2008. Another sign of dynamism occurred in the comparisons without seasonal influences, in which employment and the number of hours paid showed, for the fourth consecutive month, negative rates compared to the previous year. This fact caused the quarterly moving average index to present record decreases in the two variables. 

REAL PAYROLL

In January 2009, the real payroll of industry, not considering seasonal effects, decreased by 1.2% compared to the figure in December last year. This was the fourth consecutive negative result, with accumulated reduction of 4.5%. The quarterly moving average index kept its falling results between December and January (-1.4%), accelerating the downward trend.

In relation to January 2008, real payroll increased 1.2%, but had the lowest result since December 2006 (0.5%). The annualized rate, the indicator accumulated in the last twelve months (5.6%), has remained on a downward trend since September (6.7%).

In the comparison January 09/January 08, salary mass increased 1.2%, with salary increments in nine of the fourteen areas surveyed. However, it was lower than the figure in December (4.0%) and November (4.5%) last year, when thirteen of the fourteen subsectors had increases. The main positive contribution, in January, came from São Paulo (1.8%), followed by Espírito Santo (14.1%), and, to a lower extent, by Rio de Janeiro (2.1%). In the former, the main impacts were those of means of transportation (9.2%) and machinery and equipment (5.8%). In Espírito Santo, the two main contributions came from metallurgy (21.9%) and machinery and equipment (47.3%), as a result of a low comparison basis. In Rio de Janeiro, the main positive contribution came from mining and quarrying industry (15.5%).

Also considering the monthly index, in the analysis by subsector, real payroll increased in eleven of the eighteen subsectors surveyed, being the highlight means of transportation (4.5%) and mining and quarrying industry (13.0%) with the main positive contributions. On the other hand, the most significant decreases were those of electronic material and communication equipment (-6.5%) and food products and beverages (-2.0%).

The monthly index of January (1.2%) was significantly below the index for the fourth quarter of 2008 (4.4%), both compared to the same period in the previous year. This movement occurred in thirteen subsectors, and the most significant decreases occurred in electronic material and communication equipment, which changed from 4.7% to -6.5%; non-metallic minerals (from 15.0% to 0.2%) and metal products (from 12.9% to 2.5%). In the same comparison, twelve areas had lower rates than in the last quarter, being the highlights Minas Gerais (from 8.1% to -2.2%) and Paraná (from 6.4% to -0.6%).