In 2011, high-growth enterprises represented 7.7% of the enterprises with 10 or more salaried persons. These companies accounted for 3.2 million (56.2%) of the 5.7 million new salaried persons between 2008 and 2011. Therefore, six out of 10 additional salaried persons were employed in high-growth enterprises. The highlights were manufacturing industries (744.9 thousand new salaried persons), construction (578.8 thousand) and administrative activities and complementary services (546.6 thousand).

As to the level of schooling, high-growth enterprises employed 90.1% of the salaried persons without higher education and 9.9% with higher education, similar to the level achieved by the total enterprise population (90.0% and 10.0%, respectively). On the other hand, the participation of men (67.0%) was higher than that in the total enterprise population (63.3%). The salary difference between men and women was of 22.9%, and between those with and without higher education, 269.1%. The monthly average salary was R$ 1,638.71, 6.1% lower than that of enterprises with 10 or more salaried persons (R$ 1,744.97).

High-growth enterprises are those that show an average increase of salaried employed persons equal to or greater than 20% a year, for a period of 3 years, and that employed at least 10 salaried persons in the first year of observation. The younger high-growth enterprises, with up to 8 years of age in the reference year, are called "gazelles".

Considering the total number of active enterprises in 2011, the survival rate was 80.8%, and the entry rate, 19.2%. The exit rate was 19.0%. Considering only those with salaried personnel, the survival rate was 90.4%, the entry rate, 9.6%, and the exit rate, 4.0%. It should be noticed that 97.0% of the salaried persons were employed in  surviving enterprises and 3.0% in new entrants.

All these outcomes are from the Demography of Enterprises 2011, which allows the analysis of the enterprise dynamics through indicators of entry, exit, reentry and survival of the enterprises in the market, mobility by the size of the enterprise, statistics on high-growth and gazelle enterprises, and indicators relative to the local units of the enterprises and activities.  This edition is focused on the information of active enterprises with salaried personnel. The complete publication is available at https://www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/economia/demografiaempresa/2011.

There were 34,528 high-growth enterprises in 2011, employing 5.0 million salaried persons and paying R$ 95.4 billion in salaries and other compensation. The monthly average salary was R$ 1,638.71, the equivalent to 3.0 minimum wages. In relation to the total population of active enterprises in Brazil in 2011, they represented 0.8% of the enterprises, employed 13.0% of the total employed population, 15.4% of the total salaried employed population and paid 14.4% of the salaries and other compensation.

Taking into account only the enterprises with 10 or more salaried persons, the high-growth enterprises represented 7.7% of them, 18.2% of the total employed population, 18.5% of the total salaried employed population and 16.1% of the salaries and other compensation. In terms of salaries, these companies paid 6.1% below the average (R$ 1,744.97).

The representativeness of men in the salaried population of high-growth enterprises (67.0%) was higher than that of the total enterprise population (63.3%), in opposition to the lower participation of women: 33.0% and 36.7%, respectively. As to the total value of salaries and other compensation paid in the year, 73.2% was paid to men and 26.8%, to women. The monthly average salary was R$ 1,769.03 and R$ 1,363.69, respectively, representing a difference of 22.9%.

In terms of level of schooling, 90.1% of the salaried persons had no higher education and 9.9% had complete higher education, a level similar to the total enterprise population (90.0% and 10.0%, respectively). The monthly average salary of the salaried persons without higher education was R$ 1,292.71 and with higher education, R$ 4,770.91, a difference of 269.1%.

Lowest rate of high-growth enterprises (7.7%) in the time series

 The rate of high-growth enterprises (relation between the number of high-growth enterprises and the total enterprise population with 10 or more employed persons) was 7.7% in 2011, the lowest rate among the years surveyed. The rate was 8.3% in 2008 and 7.9% in 2009 and 2010. The reduction is due to the fact that the number of high-growth enterprises increased in a pace (3.6%) lower than the total enterprise population with 10 or more salaried persons (5.9%).

12,915 companies were younger high-growth enterprises ("gazelles") in 2011, representing a rate of 7.1%, also lower than that reported in previous years (7.9% in 2008; 7.4% in 2009 and 7.2% in 2010). The rate of "gazelle" companies is the percentage of high-growth enterprises with up to 8 years of operation in relation to the number of companies with 10 or more employed persons and up to 8 years.

Despite the relatively small number of high-growth enterprises (34,528 or 0.8% of the total enterprise population), they were responsible for absorbing 5.0 million salaried persons, which represented 15.4% of the population of 32.7 million in the Brazilian companies. Nevertheless, this participation was lower than that of 2008 (16.7%), of 2009 (16.6%) and of 2010 (16.2%). On the other hand, "gazelle" companies employed 1.4 million salaried persons in 2011, representing 4.2% of the population, also at a lower level than that reported in previous years.

Construction highlights in average rates of high-growth enterprises

The average rate of high-growth enterprises (7.7%) changed according to the economic activity. The highest rates were posted in construction (12.7%), administrative activities and complementary services (11.7%) and financial activities, insurance and related services (11.3%). Conversely, the sections of housing and food; arts, culture and recreation and electricity and gas registered the lowest rates: 4.0%, 5.8% and 5.9%, respectively. The highest rate was 3.2 times the lowest one.

The average relative participation of salaried persons of high-growth enterprises in the total population of salaried persons was of 15.4%. Construction also recorded the highest relative participation (30.4%), followed by administrative activities and complementary services (23.4%) and information and communication (19.8%). On the other hand, electricity and gas, housing and food and other services activities registered the lowest participations: 1.3%, 7.0% and 9.5% respectively.

The size analysis is an important characteristic to study the high-growth enterprises. In 2011, for example, companies with 10 to 49 employed persons (51.5%) and with 50 to 249 employed persons (38.9%) reported a high participation. Conversely, the participation of companies with 250 or more employed persons was of 9.6%. It is worth highlighting that such size standard of high-growth enterprises was similar to that of previous years.

Retail trade remains the highest proportion of high-growth enterprises (26.7%)

In 2011, the section of retail trade; car repair and motorcycles was the highlight with 26.7% of the high-growth enterprises, followed by manufacturing industries, 23.3%, and construction (12.9%), the same activities that had stood out in 2009 and 2010. However, manufacturing industries ranked in the first position in 2008, with 27.4% of the high-growth enterprises, followed by retail trade and construction in the second and third positions, respectively. The comparison between the distribution of high-growth enterprises in 2008 and 2011 pointed to a reduction of 4.1 percentage points in the relative participation of the manufacturing industries, which was mainly offset by the increase in the relative participation of  professional, scientific and technical activities (0.8 percentage points), education (0.8 percentage points), construction (0.7 percentage points) and administrative activities and complementary services (0.7 percentage points).

Six out of 10 new salaried persons come from high-growth enterprises

In spite of representing only 0.8% of the Brazilian companies and 7.7% of the companies with 10 or more salaried persons, high-growth enterprises stood out in the generation of formal jobs. The number of salaried persons in companies considered high-growth enterprises in 2011 changed from 1.8 million persons in 2008 to 5.0 million in 2011, representing an increase of 175.5% or 3.2 million more employed persons. In this period, the number of salaried employed persons in all the companies increased 21.1%, changing from 27.0 million to 32.7 million persons, more 5.7 million employed persons. In other words, high-growth enterprises accounted for 56.2% of the surplus of salaried employed persons generated by the total enterprise population between 2008 and 2011. Similar percentages were registered in high-growth enterprises in the same periods of previous years: 58.2% between 2007 and 2010, 59.6% between 2006 and 2009 and 57.4% between 2005 and 2008. Taking into account all these periods, six out of 10 salaried persons were employed in high-growth enterprises.

Considering the surplus of 3.2 million salaried persons employed in high-growth enterprises between 2008 and 2011, four activities were responsible for 74.2% or 2.4 million persons:  manufacturing industries (23.2%), construction (18.0%), administrative activities and complementary services (17.0%) and retail trade; car repair and motorcycles (16.0%).

ENTERPRISES WITH SALARIED PERSONS: monthly average salary is R$ 1,578.27

In 2011, the Central Register of Enterprises (Cempre) comprised 4.5 million active enterprises. The average age of these companies was 9.8 years. Taking into account the active enterprises (4.5 million), 80.8% (3.7 million) were surviving enterprises, 19.2% were new entrants (871.8 thousand), corresponding to 14.6% of births (660.9 thousand) and 4.6% were reentrants (210.9 thousand). On the other hand, the enterprises that left the market totaled 19.0% (864.0 thousand companies).

The surviving enterprises also stood out in the total employed population (94.6% of 39.3 million persons), in the salaried personnel (97.0% of 32.7 million persons) and in the salaries paid in the year (98.9% of R$ 660.2 billion). The enterprises that started their activities in 2011 were responsible for an increase of 5.4% in the total employed population, of 3.0% in the total salaried employed population and of 1.1% in the salaries and other compensation. As to the companies that left the market, they represented a decrease of 3.9% in the total employed population, of 1.3% in the total salaried employed population and of 1.2% in the salaries and other compensation.

In 2011, the population of 2.2 million companies with salaried personnel represented 49.5% of the total number of active enterprises. Considering the active enterprises, 90.4% (2.0 million) were surviving enterprises, 9.6% were new entrants (216.0 thousand), corresponding to 8.0% of births (179.4 thousand) and 1.6% were reentrants (36.6 thousand). Conversely, the enterprises that left the market totaled 4.0% (90.7 thousand companies). The surviving enterprises also stood out in the total employed population (96.5%), in the total salaried population (97.0%), in the total salaries and other compensation paid in the year (98.9%) and in the monthly average salary of 2.9 minimum wages (R$ 1,578.27).

The enterprises that started their activities in 2011 were responsible for an increase of 3.5% in the total employed population, of 3.0% in the total salaried employed population and of 1.1% in the salaries and other compensation paid, as well as for a monthly average salary of 1.0 minimum wages. As to the companies that left the market, they represented a decrease of 1.5% in the total employed population, of 1.3% in the total salaried employed population and of 0.9% in the salaries and other compensation, as well as an average salary of 2.1 minimum wages.

The main figures on entries, exits and survival of companies with salaried employed personnel, between 2008 and 2011, are summed up in the table below.

63.3% of salaried persons in active enterprises were men

In 2011, 63.3% of the total salaried population employed in active and surviving enterprises were men and 36.7%, women. As to the total salaried persons employed in new entrants in 2011, 62.4% were men, whereas 37.6% were women. And as to those employed in enterprises that left the market, 59.5% were men and 40.5%, women.

Considering the level of schooling, 90.0% of the salaried persons in active companies in 2011 did not have higher education, while 10.0% had higher education. The surviving enterprises recorded 89.8% of the salaried persons without higher education and 10.2%, with higher education. Taking into account the new entrants in 2011, 94.6% of the salaried persons did not have higher education, whereas 5.4% had higher education. As to those employed in companies that left the market, 94.3% were salaried without higher education and 5.7%, with higher education.

Companies employing 10 or more show higher survival rate (96.1%)

The figures point to a direct relation between the size of enterprises and the survival rate. While companies employing 1 to 9 persons showed a rate of 89.0% in 2011, companies employing 10 or more persons showed a rate of 96.1%. On the other hand, the relation is the reverse in the case of entries (births and reentries) and exits: companies employing 1 to 9 salaried persons registered 11.0% and 4.7%, respectively, whereas companies employing 10 or more recorded rates of 3.9% and 1.2%, respectively.

Retail trade employs 30.9% of the salaried persons of new entrants

Among the new entrants, retail trade, car repair and motorcycles; manufacturing industries and construction were the activities that recorded the highest relative participation of salaried employed persons. Considering 980.1 thousand salaried persons in new entrants, 303.1 thousand (30.9%) were employed in retail trade; car repair and motorcycles, 139.9 thousand (14.3%) in manufacturing industries and 171.2 thousand in construction (17.5%). Taking into account 410.4 thousand salaried persons in companies that left the market, 120.9 thousand (29.5%) were employed in retail trade; car repair and motorcycles, 89.6 thousand (21.8%) in manufacturing industries and 52.8 thousand (12.9%) in construction.

The new entrants in 2011 registered, on average, an increase of 3.0% in the total salaried employed population. The exit rate, which reveals the drop in the total salaried employed population, was 1.2%. These two figures pointed to a positive balance of salaried personnel between the enterprises that entered and left the market. The economic activities in which the companies stood out in terms of entries and exits were: retail trade; car repair and motorcycles with 95.7 thousand and 45.2 thousand companies (44.3% and 49.8%), manufacturing industries with 22.9 thousand and 11.1 thousand (10.6% and 12.2%) and housing and food with 20.1 thousand and 7.9 thousand (9.3% and 8.7%), respectively. Concerning survival, 49.9% of surviving companies in 2011 (1.0 million) were in retail trade; 12.8% (260.2 thousand) in manufacturing industries and 7.7% (156.3 thousand) in housing and food.

In 2011, the entry rate of enterprises with salaried personnel was 9.6%. In regard to the economic activities, the highest entry rates were registered in construction (18.4%); other services activities (12.5%) and agriculture, livestock, forestry, fishing and aquiculture (12.1%). Conversely, the lowest entry rates were recorded in human health and social services (7.1%); mining and quarrying industries and financial activities (7.3%); and education (8.0%), which were the activities that registered the highest survival rates, respectively 92.9%, 92.7% and 92.0%. On the other hand, the highest exit rates were recorded in construction (5.8%); agriculture, livestock, forestry, fishing and aquiculture (5.0%); water, sewage, residue management activities and decontamination (4.9%); other services activities and housing and food (4.5%). And the lowest exit rates were reported in electricity and gas (2.0%); human health and social services (2.1%); real estate and financial activities (2.5%).

All the activities registered drops in the entry rate between 2010 and 2011, with the exception of  agriculture; information and communication; real estate activities and human health. In the period 2008-2011, the highest entry rates were recorded in construction (2.4 percentage points) and real estate activities and other services activities (1.7 percentage points). Conversely, the major losses in the entry rate were reported in the sections of electricity and gas and arts, culture, sports and recreation (-0.5 percentage points).

North Region records highest entry (13.6%) and exit (6.0%) rates

The regional analysis was based on information from local units, which are the addresses where the companies operate. In 2011, 2.2 million active enterprises with salaried personnel had 2.6 million active local units, from which 49.7% were located in the Southeast Region, 21.9% in the South Region, 16.1% in the Northeast Region, 8.3% in the Central-West Region and 4.0% in the North Region. The Southeast and Northeast regions registered the highest figures of employed persons due to the creation of new companies, representing 52.4% and 17.3% respectively, of the total salaried population employed in new entrants in 2011. Up to 2009, the highest participation of total salaried persons employed in new entrants were reported in the Southeast and South regions. Among the Federation Units, the highlights were São Paulo (29.9%), Minas Gerais (10.6%) and Rio de Janeiro (9.9%). The smallest participations of salaried persons were recorded in Roraima (0.1%), Acre (0.3%), Amapá (0.3%) and Tocantins (0.4%).

The entry and exit rates were somewhat stable in the period 2008-2011, including all the regions and showing a similar behavior countrywide. In 2011, the entry rate of the local units of enterprises with salaried personnel was 11.0%, the exit rate was 5.2% and the survival rate, 89.9%. The North Region recorded the highest entry (14.6%) and exit (7.4%) rates The survival rate was 85.4%. The Northeast Region reported an entry rate of 12.7% and an exit rate of 6.2%, whereas the survival rate was 87.3%. The Central-West Region registered an entry rate of 12.6%, an exit rate of 6.1% and a survival rate of 87.4%. In 2011, the survival rate in the Southeast and South were 89.7% and 90.1%, respectively.

Among the states, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo reported the highest survival rates: 90.6%, 90.4% and 90.2%, respectively. On the other hand, Amapá (82.6%), Acre (83.3%), Amazonas, Rondônia and Pará (85.6%) registered the lowest rates.