In the analysis by area, over July, the number of employed persons showed a scenario of stability in all the areas surveyed. Over August 2010, there were changes in two metropolitan areas only: Metropolitan Areas and Salvador, where the decreases reached 25.0% and 25.1%, respectively. 

Employment level was 53.9%

 The estimated employment level (proportion of employed persons in relation to the working age population) in August 2011, 53.9% in the group of six metropolitan areas, remained stable over the July figure and also over August last year. By areas, in the monthly comparison, all the metropolitan areas kept stable results, except Rio de Janeiro, where the indicator changed from 50.6% to 51.8% (1.2 percentage points). Compared to August last year, there was significant increase in the metropolitan area of Recife only, where the indicator grew by 1.5 percentage points (from 45.4% to 46.9%).

By analyzing the number of employed persons, by group of economic activity, from July to August 2011, there was no significant change in any of the groups in this period. In the annual comparison, there were increases in three groups of workers: Construction, 7.2% (118 thousand persons); Trade, repair of automotive vehicles and of personal and domestic objects and retail trade of fuels, 3.2% (132 thousand persons) and Services rendered to enterprises rents real estate activities and financial mediation, from 5.0% (169 thousand persons). The other groups did not record changes in the period.

The average real income usually earned by workers in the regional analysis over July increased by 1.8% in Recife and 3.8% in Rio de Janeiro. There was decrease in Salvador (1.4%), Belo Horizonte (0.8%), São Paulo (0.5%) and Porto Alegre (1.1%). Compared to August 2010, there was increase in Salvador, 4.5%, Belo Horizonte, 3.5%, Rio de Janeiro, 7.5%, São Paulo, 0.8% and Porto Alegre, 3,8%. There was decrease in Recife, only, 1.0%.

The unemployment rate of August 2011 was 6.0% for the group of six metropolitan areas, the same figure as in July. This is the lowest rate estimated for a month of August since the beginning of the series (2002). Compared to August 2010, when the estimated rate was 6.7%, there was decrease of 0.7 percentage ponts. The unemployed population (1.4 million persons) was stable over the previous month. Over August last year, there was decrease of 10.0% (corresponding to minus 160 thousand persons in this condition). The employed population, in August 2011 (22.6 million persons), did not change significantly compared to the July figure. Over August last year, there was increase of 2.2%, what represented a total 488 thousand employed persons more in a period of 12 months. The number of workers with a formal contract signed in the private sector (11.0 million) did not record any changes over July. This estimate, over August 2010, increased by 7.5%, that is, 764 thousand other job posts with a signed employment contract in 12 months.

The average real income of the employed population (R$ 1,629.40) recorded increase of 0.5% over July. Compared to August last year, the purchasing power of the employed persons increased by 3.2%. The average volume of real income usually earned by the employed population (37.2 billion) was 1.4% above that recorded in July and increased by 5.6% over August 2010. The volume of real income earned by the employed population (R$ 36.9 billion) estimated in July 2011 increased by 1.4% in the month and 5.7% 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 to this survey is available at www.ibge.gov.br/home/estatistica/indicadores/trabalhoerendimento/pme_nova/default.shtm

Unemployment remains stable in the six areas surveyed

The unemployment rate by area did not record significant changes in comparison with that of last July. Compared to August 2010, there were decreases in the metropolitan areas of Recife (2.3 percentage points) and Salvador (2.8 percentage points).

In the classification by group of activity, the biggest increase in the average real income usually earned in relation to August 2010 occurred in Mining and quarrying industry, manufacturing industry and distribution of electricity, gas and water (6.6%).

In the analysis of household income per capita, there was increase of 5.2% over August in the previous year, being the main highlight Rio de Janeiro (10.7%).