The unemployment rate of February was 0.3 percentage points above the figure in January (8.2%) and 0.2 percentage points below the rate of February last year (8.7%). The unemployed population (1.9 million) had increase of 51 thousand persons (2.7%) compared to January, and decrease of 29 thousand persons (-1.5%) when compared to February 2008. The employed population (20.9 million) faced decrease (-1.0% or 211 thousand persons less) in relation to January and increased (1.4% or 238 thousand persons more) in the annual comparison. The number of workers with a formal contract in the private sector (9.4 million) was reduced (-1.1% or 109 thousand persons less) in the month and increased (3.4% or 307 thousand persons more) in the year. Compared to January, the number of employed persons changed significantly only in Mining and quarrying industry and distribution of electricity, gas and water (-3.2%). In the year, all the groups of activity remained stable. Compared to January, the number of employed persons changed significantly only in Mining and quarrying industry and distribution of electricity, gas and water (-3.2%). In the year, all the groups of activity remained stable. The real income of usually earned by workers (R$ 1,321.30) did not face any significant changes (-0.1%) in the month and increased 4.6% compared to February 2008. The average real household income per capita (R$ 835.21) fell -1.0% in the month and increased 3.6% in the year. The volume of real income usually earned by the employed population  (R$ 27.9 billion ) decreased (-1.1%) in the month and increased (6.2%) in relation to February 2008.

In February 2009, the unemployment rate¹ estimated by IBGE’s monthly employment survey was 8.5% for the group of six metropolitan areas investigated², not presenting significantly statistical changes either in relation to January  (8.2%), or in comparison with February last year (8.7%).

The unemployed population³ (1.9 million) in the total of six metropolitan areas surveyed, had increase of 51 thousand persons (2.7%) in relation to January, representing decrease of 29 thousand persons (-1.5%) if compared to the result in February 2008. Such changes are not considered statistically relevant. By area, there were no significant changes in relation to the previous year, but, in February 2008, there were decreases in Recife (-16.1%) and Belo Horizonte (-12.8%).

EMPLOYED PERSONS (PO)

The employed population (20.9 million) in the group of six metropolitan areas declined (-1.0%) compared to January 2009 and grew 1.4% compared to February 2008. By area, in relation to the previous month, there was decrease in Porto Alegre (-3.2%). In the annual comparison, there were hikes in Recife (4.4%) and São Paulo (1.9%).

Results of the main groups of activity:

Mining and quarrying industry, manufacturing industry and distribution of electricity, gas and water (16.6% of the PO) There was decrease in the monthly comparison (-3.2%) and stability in relation to February 2008. In the analysis by area, in the monthly comparison, there was decrease in Recife (11.3%) and Porto Alegre (6.3%). In the year, there was stability.

Construction (7.3% of the PO). In the group of six metropolitan areas, there was stability in both periods of comparison. In the regional analysis, there was no change in relation to January. In the analysis by area, there was no change in relation to January. Compared to February 2008, there were hikes in Recife, 21.4% and Rio de Janeiro, 13.9%.

Trade, repair of automotive vehicles and of personal and domestic objects and retail trade of fuels (19.4% of the PO) In the group of six metropolitan areas, there was stability in both periods. In the analysis by area, there was decrease in relation to January in Salvador (6.1%). In the year, there was hike in Recife (9.0%).

Services rendered to enterprises, rents, real estate activities and financial intermediation (15.3% of the PO) For the group of six areas, there was stability in both periods. In the analysis by area, there was no change in the monthly comparison. In the year, there was hike in Recife (12.0%).

Education, health, social security, public administration, defense and social security (16.0% of the PO) In the total of six areas surveyed, there was stability, both in the monthly and in the annual comparison. In the analysis by area, there was decrease (-4.4%) in Rio de Janeiro, in the monthly comparison. In the year, there was stability.

Domestic services (7.7% of the PO) There was stability in both periods analyzed. In the analysis by area, in relation to the previous month, there was increase in (8.3%) and, in the following year, stability.

Other services (lodging and feeding, transportation, storage and communications, urban sanitation, associate, recreational, cultural and sports activities, personal services) (17.1% of the PO) There was stability both in relation to the monthly and to the annual comparison. In the analysis by area, there was decrease in Recife (-8.3%). In the year, there was stability.

Analysis of the type of participation in the job market:

Workers WITH  a formal contract (except domestic workers, military and civil servants and others) (44.8%of the PO) In relation to January, there was stability, and in relation to February 2008, there was increase of 3.4%. By area, in the monthly comparison, there was decrease in Porto Alegre (3.8%). In the year, there were increases in Recife (8.8%), Belo Horizonte (4.9%) and in Rio de Janeiro (5.7%).

Workers WITHOUT a formal contract in the private sector (except domestic workers, military and civil servants and others), (12.7% of the PO) There was stability in the monthly and annual comparisons.. In the analysis by area, there was stability in relation to January and, in the year, decrease in Belo Horizonte (-9.3%) and Porto Alegre (-15.9%).

Military or civil servants (7.6% of the PO) There was decrease in relation to January (-5.5%) and stability in the year.  By area, in the month, there was decrease in São Paulo (-7.5%) and, in the year, in Belo Horizonte (14.2%).

Own-account workers (18.9% of the PO) In both periods, there was stability. By area, in the month, there was stability and, in the year, increase in Recife (11.1%).

AVERAGE REAL INCOME⁴

In February, the average real income usually earned by workers (R$ 1,321.30) did not change significantly (-0.1%) in relation to January 2009 (R$ 1,323.17), but increased 4.6% in relation to February 2008 (R$ 1,263.36).

By area, in the month, there was increase in Salvador (0.,9%), Belo Horizonte (2.4%), Rio de Janeiro (1.7%) and Porto Alegre (1.0%), and decreases in Recife (-3.6%) and São Paulo (-1.6%). In the year, there was decrease in Belo Horizonte (8.3%), Rio de Janeiro (8.5%), São Paulo (3.8) and Porto Alegre (2.2%), and in Recife (-2.9%) and Salvador (-1.0%).

Workers WITH a formal contract in the private sector (R$ 1,274.90) There was increase of 0.9% in the month and of 5.8% in the year. By area, in the month, there was increase in Recife (2.6%) Salvador (3.2%), Belo Horizonte (3.3%), Rio de Janeiro (1.3%) and Porto Alegre (0.7%); and stability in São Paulo. In the year, there was increase in Recife (1.3%), Salvador (3.2%), Belo Horizonte (6.0%), Rio de Janeiro (11.2%), São Paulo (5.9%), and decrease in Porto Alegre (-0.9%).    

Workers WITHOUT a formal contract in the private sector (R$ 856.10) There was stability in the month and increase of 0.4% inn the year. By area, in the year, there was increase in Recife (4.4%), Salvador (8.8%), Belo Horizonte (14.6%), Rio de Janeiro (6.8%) and Porto Alegre (4.0%), and decrease in São Paulo (6.6%). In the year, there was increase in Recife (5.1%), Salvador (6.1%), Belo Horizonte (16.0%), Rio de Janeiro (14.2%) and Porto Alegre (3.4%), and decrease in São Paulo (-9.4%).

Military or civil servants (R$ 2,296.90) There was decrease (-0.8%) in the month and increase of 3.9% in the year. In the metropolitan areas, there was increase in Rio de Janeiro (5.6%), and decrease in Recife (-14.0%), Salvador (-2.4%), Belo Horizonte (-5.5%), São Paulo (-1.7%) and Porto Alegre (-2.3%). In the year, there was decrease in Rio de Janeiro (14.3%) and São Paulo (4.3%), and decreases in Recife (-14.6%), Salvador (-6.2%), Belo Horizonte (-0,8%) e Porto Alegre (-1.4%).

Own-account workers (R$ 1,092.50) There was stability in the month and increase of 6.7% in the year. In the metropolitan areas, there was decrease in Recife (-5.3%), Salvador (-4.5%), Belo Horizonte (-1.2%), São Paulo (-1.0%), and increases in Rio de Janeiro (0.5%) and Porto Alegre (9.6%). In the year, there were decreases in Salvador (1.6), Belo Horizonte (2.7%), Rio de Janeiro (0.4%), São Paulo (13.1%) and Porto Alegre (10.1%). There was decrease in Recife (8.1%).

AVERAGE REAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME PER CAPITA⁵

In February 2009, in the group of six metropolitan areas, the average real household income per capita (R$ 835.1) fell in relation to the figure in January  (-1.0%) and rose (3.6%) in the year.

By area, in relation to January, there was hike in Belo Horizonte (1.5%), Rio de Janeiro (1.0%) and Porto Alegre (0.8%), and decrease in Recife (-3.5%), Salvador (-1.6%) and São Paulo (-2.6%). In the year, there was hike in all the areas: Recife (5.6%), Salvador (1.9%), Belo Horizonte (5.8%), Rio de Janeiro (7.3%), São Paulo (1.8%) and Porto Alegre (2.3%).

VOLUME OF REAL INCOME RECEIVED BY THE EMPLOYED POPULATION⁶

The volume of real income received by the employed population (R$ 27.5 billion), as estimated by the Monthly Employment Survey of February 2009), presented decrease that in relation to December 2008 (21.6%) and increase compared to January 2008 (6.3%).

Compared to last December, there was decrease in all the areas surveyed: Recife (-34.3%), Salvador (-15.7%), Belo Horizonte (-24.3%), Rio de Janeiro (-20.9%), São Paulo (-20.4%) and Porto Alegre (-22.6%). Compared to  January 2008, there was hike in Salvador (0.8%), Belo Horizonte (7.0%), Rio de Janeiro (10.4%) and São Paulo (7.2%), and decrease in Recife and Porto Alegre (both with – 1.3%).

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¹ Proportion of unemployed persons in relation to the economically-active population.

² São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Recife, Salvador and Porto Alegre.

³ Persons who were not working, were available to work in the week of reference and had taken action in order to get a job in the 30 days before the week in which they participated in the survey.

⁴ Income usually earned. The deflator used for the calculation of the real income for each area is the Consumer Price Index of the metropolitan area produced by IBGE.  In order to calculate the income of the total six metropolitan areas covered by the survey, the deflator is the weighting average of the price indexes of these areas.  The weighting variable is the resident population in the urban area of the metropolitan area.

⁵ Division of the household monthly income from work by the number of members of the household unit, except for pension-receivers, domestic workers or relatives of domestic workers.

⁶Sum of the income effectively earned from all the activities in the month of reference of the survey (month before the release).