In 2012, the number of high-growth enterprises - those enterprises that increased the number of employees at least 20% a year for three consecutive years and counted with at least 10 salaried employed persons in the first year of observation - added up to 35,206. They were equivalent to 0.8% of the total number of active enterprises in the economy and to 7.6% of the total number of enterprises with 10 or more salaried employed persons that year. In the triennium 2010-2012, these enterprises registered an average growth of employed persons of 167.8% and, as a result, generated 3.3 million new job positions or 58.3% of the job vacancies created by all the active enterprises with at least one salaried employed person in the same period. This result pointed to an increasing participation of these enterprises in relation to the previous triennium (2008-2011), a period where high-growth enterprises were responsible for creating 56.0% of the total number of salaried job positions.

More than half of high-growth enterprises employed up to 49 salaried persons in 2012. The proportion of enterprises with more than 250 salaried employed persons was 9.4%. In 2012, the average age of high-growth enterprises was 13.8 years. The analysis of this universe showed 4,671 gazelles or enterprises with up to three years of age in the first year of observation. Between 2010 and 2012, the gazelles increased their representativeness in relation to enterprises known as of high-growth (from 11.3% to 13.3%).

Among the high-growth enterprises in 2009 (30,935), 12,747 (41.2%) continued to grow at 20% a year in 2010, 5,502 (17.8%) sustained that growth in 2011 and, lastly, 2.5% (781) sustained it in 2012. In 2012, these enterprises - so-called of continuous high-growth - employed 554,594 salaried persons and paid R$ 14.0 billion in salaries and other compensation. Concerning the spatial distribution of these enterprises, the concentration of local units of high-growth enterprises was higher in the North and Northeast Regions, both in terms of the number of these units and of the number of persons employed.

This publication introduced the use of alternative aggregations in relation to the previous editions: sectors of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Knowledge-Intensive Activities (KIA). In 2012, among 38,003 enterprises in the KIA sectors, 3,411 (9.0%) were high-growth enterprises, among 1,809 enterprises in the ICT sectors, 182 (10.1%), and among 6,635 enterprises belonging to both KIA and ICT sectors, 845 (12.7%) were of high-growth.

These data are part of the survey Statistics of Entrepreneurship 2012, carried out by IBGE in partnership with Endeavor Brazil Institute. The complete publication can be accessed on page www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/economia/empreendedorismo/2012/.

In 2012, 35,206 high-growth enterprises employed 5.3 million salaried persons and paid R$ 108.8 billion in salaries and other compensation. Compared with the previous year, the total number of high-growth enterprises increased by 2.0%, the number of salaried employed persons increased by 5.0% and the nominal value of salaries and other compensation increased by 14.0%.

The participation of high-growth enterprises in the total number of active enterprises remained relatively constant at about 0.8% in this period (0.7% in 2010 and 0.8% in 2011 and 2012). The participation rate of high-growth enterprises in the total number of enterprises with one or more salaried employed persons also remained stable: after changing only 0.1 percentage points between 2010 and 2011, the rate did not change between 2011 and 2012 (1.5%).

Between 2010 and 2011, the proportion of employed persons in relation to active enterprises with one or more salaried employed persons reduced from 16.2% to 15.4%, followed by a relative stability in the following biennium. The rates of salaries and compensation in relation to active enterprises with one or more employed persons followed a similar pattern: after dropping from 15.6% to 14.4% between 2010 and 2011, the rate remained constant in the 2011-2012 biennium. The absolute average monthly salary also reduced from 2.7 minimum wages in 2010 and 2011 to 2.5 minimum wages in 2012.

Between 2009 and 2012, high-growth enterprises registered an increase in the number of salaried employed persons of at least 72.8%. In the 2010-2012 triennium, the rate for high-growth enterprises was 167.8%, below those recorded in the 2009-2011 (175.5%) and 2008-2010 (175.4%) trienniums. The analysis of the rates of percentage increase of salaried employed persons per year showed that the initial years of the 2008-2010, 2009-2011 and 2010-2012 trienniums posted the highest rates, above 50%. In the 2010-2012 period, this variable was close to 60% between 2009 and 2010. The lowest growth rate was registered between 2011 and 2012 (27.0%).

In 2012, high-growth enterprises represented 0.8% of the active enterprises, 1.5% of the enterprises with one or more salaried employed persons and 7.6% of the enterprises with 10 or more salaried employed persons. However, they generated 3.3 million salaried job positions, which represented 58.3% of the total number of positions generated by enterprises with one or more salaried employed persons and 77.6% of the positions generated by enterprises with ten or more salaried employed persons between 2009 and 2012.

High-growth enterprises have 13.8 years, on average

In 2012, the average age of active enterprises in Brazil was 10.1 years, and of high-growth enterprises, 13.8 years. Among high-growth enterprises, 80.7% of them were concentrated in the age group up to 20 years. This group concentrated 69.1% of the salaried employed persons and paid 63.6% of salaries and other compensation.

Enterprises aged over 41 years represented a small portion of the total number of high-growth enterprises (2.3% in 2012). However, enterprises in this age group paid 12.6% of salaries and other compensation and employed 8.6% of the salaried persons.

The group aged between 11 and 20 years represented the biggest participation in terms of number of enterprises (35.5% in 2012), total number of salaried employed persons (35.8%) and salaries and other compensation (33.6%).

Number of gazelles increases 24.4% compared with 2010

Gazelles are high-growth enterprises with up to three years of age in the initial year of observation. In 2012, the number of gazelles was 4,671, an increase of 8.6% in relation to 2011 (4,287) and of 24.4% when compared with 2010 (3,755). The participation of these enterprises in relation to those with 10 or more employed persons remained constant in the period under analysis: 0.9% (2010) and 1.0% (2011 and 2012). The participation in relation to high-growth enterprises increased from 11.3% in 2010 to 13.3% in 2012.

In 2012, gazelles accounted for 1.3% of persons employed in active enterprises with one or more salaried employed persons and paid R$ 7.9 million in salaries and other compensation, which corresponded to an absolute average monthly salary of 2.3 minimum wages. This value was below that registered in 2011 (2.5 minimum wages), though at the same level as that recorded in 2010 (2.3).

More than half of high-growth enterprises and gazelles have 10 to 49 salaried persons

The representativeness of enterprises employing 10 to 49 salaried persons in the total number of gazelles (56.8%) was higher than in the group of high-growth enterprises (51.7%). Among large enterprises employing 250 or more salaried persons, this relation was reversed: the representativeness of gazelles was 5.4%, while that of high-growth enterprises was 9.4%.

In general, large enterprises employing 250 or more salaried persons paid higher salaries along all the years. The top value in the 2010-2012 triennium (3.1 minimum wages), registered in 2011, was paid by large gazelles.

The participation of women in the salaried employed personnel increased between 2010 and 2012 in active enterprises employing 10 or more salaried persons (from 34.2% to 35.7%), in high-growth enterprises (from 32.4% to 33.5%) and in gazelles (from 33.0% to 35.9%).

Concerning the schooling level, gazelles recorded a lower participation of salaried employed persons with higher education than high-growth enterprises and active enterprises with 10 or more salaried employed persons in 2012. However, the participation  of salaried employed persons with complete higher education increased from 6.3% in 2010 to 7.6% in 2012. High-growth enterprises reduced the participation from 11.1% in 2010 to 9.3% in 2012. In active enterprises employing 10 or more persons, the participation of salaried employed persons with complete higher education increased from 11.3% to 12.2% between 2010 and 2012.

Manufacturing industries employ 21.5% of employees in high-growth enterprises

In2012, the sectoral analysis showed that high-growth enterprises were more represented from the sectors of trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (26.4%); manufacturing industries (22.6%); and construction (12.5%). The less represented sectors were human health and social services (2.0%); and other services activities (1.2%).

Among high-growth enterprises, the sectors that mostly employed in 2012 were manufacturing industries (21.5%); administrative activities and complementary services (19.6%); trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (17.5%); and construction (17.2%). Among high-growth enterprises, the following sectors stood out by paying average monthly salaries above the average (2.5 minimum wages): electricity and gas (8.2 minimum wages); mining and quarrying industries (7.4 minimum wages); and financial and insurance activities, and related services (5.9 minimum wages).

The participation of women in the salaried employed personnel was higher in the sectors of human health and social services (74.5%); education (64.2%); housing and food (58.7%); and financial and insurance activities, and related services (57.9%). The sector of construction posted the highest concentration of men (91.6%).

The following sectors stood out in terms of the high percentage of salaried employed persons with higher education: education (52.8%); arts, culture, sports and recreation (40.4%); financial and insurance activities, and related services (39.7%); information and communication (36.3%); and electricity and gas (36.1%). The following sectors were in the other end: agriculture (4.2%); and water, sewage, decontamination and waste management activities (4.4%).

2.5% of high-growth enterprises in 2009 keep on growing up to 2012

Continuous high-growth enterprises were those that continued to increase the number of salaried employed persons at least at 20% a year, for an uninterrupted period above three years since the initial year of observation. Among the 30,935 high-growth enterprises in 2009, 41.2% (12,747) remained growing in 2010, 17.8% (5,502) in 2011 and, lastly, 2.5% (781) in 2012. In 2012, 781 enterprises registered growth rates of salaried employed persons above 20% a year since 2007.

In 2012, they employed 554,594 salaried persons and paid R$ 14.0 billion in salaries and other compensation. It should be highlighted that, though representing a less significant set of high-growth enterprises in 2012 (2.2%), continuous high-growth enterprises since 2009 employed 10.5% of the total number of salaried persons, paid 12.8% of the total value of salaries and other compensation, yet paying an average monthly salary above that of high-growth enterprises (3.1 versus 2.9).

High-growth enterprises are more present than average in Knowledge-Intensive Activities and ICT

Two alternative aggregates were analyzed: Knowledge-Intensive Activities (KIA) and Sectors of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). In 2012, among 35,206 high-growth enterprises, 3,411 (9.7%) belonged only to the KIA sector, 182 (0.5%) only to the ICT sector and 845 belonged simultaneously to the KIA and ICT sectors (2.4%), adding up to 12.6%. Considering the group of active enterprises employing 10 or more persons, KIA enterprises were 8.2%, ICT were 0,4% and both KIA and ICT were 1,4%, adding up to 10.0%.

In 2012, enterprises belonging to the KIA sector but not to the ICT sector employed 680,243 salaried persons and paid R$ 16.4 billion in salaries and other compensation. In relation to the total number of high-growth enterprises, the percentage of salaries and other compensation paid by KIA enterprises increased along the period, changing from 23.5% (2010) to 15.1% (2012). By dropping from 3.7 minimum wages in 2010 to 3.0 minimum wages in 2012, the average minimum wage followed the same trend.

Among the active enterprises employing 10 or more salaried persons in 2012, 1,809 belonged only to the ICT sector and, among them, 182 were considered high-growth enterprises (10.1%). In 2012, these high-growth enterprises from the ICT sector employed 23,240 persons, a drop in relation to the 24,386 employed persons in 2010. These enterprises paid R$ 1.4 billion in salaries and other compensation in 2012. In terms of average monthly salary, these enterprises recorded a significant increase from 5.0 minimum wages in 2010 to 7.3 in 2012.

Considering the sectors belonging to both aggregates, KIA an ICT, enterprises employing 10 or more salaried persons added up to 6,635, being 845 of high growth (12.7%). This percentage reduced 0.4 percentage points in the triennium. In 2012, enterprises that belonged both to the KIA and ICT sectors employed 163,198 persons and paid R$ 5.4 billion in salaries and compensation.

In 2012, enterprises with 10 or more salaried persons employed 28,101,073 persons. Of them, 5,285,197 worked in high-growth enterprises, which represented 18.5% of the total. ICT enterprises stood out in the sectoral analysis: of the 83,591 salaried persons employed in enterprises with 10 or more employees, 23,240 were allocated in high-growth enterprises (27.8%). This percentage was higher than that registered in KIA and ICT enterprises (24.5%), as well as in KIA only enterprises (19.3%).

Local units of high-growth enterprises mostly concentrates in the Northeast and North Regions

The concentration of local units of high-growth enterprises was higher in the North and Northeast Regions, both in terms of the number of these units and of the number of persons employed. Conversely, the lowest rates were found in the South and Southeast Regions. In terms of proportion, the Northeast ranked in the first position: 11.4% of all the local units in the region belonged to high-growth enterprises. It was followed by the North (11.0%), Central-West (11.0%), Southeast (10.6%) and South (10.0%). By concentrating 21.7% of the salaried employed persons in local units linked to high-growth enterprises, the Northeast also led it, followed by the North (21.3%), Central-West (19.5%), Southeast (18.8%) and South (15.1%).

Among the Federation Units, Maranhão ranked in the first position, with 13.4% of the local units of high growth, followed by Roraima (12.5%), Ceará (12.4%), the Federal District (12.4%), Acre (12.3%), Rio Grande do Norte (12.1%) and Sergipe (12.0). The lowest proportion was recorded in Minas Gerais (9.3%). The states with the highest concentration of persons employed in local units of high growth were Maranhão (31.8%), Roraima (27.3%), Acre (25.1%), Amapá (23.3%) and Tocantins (23.0%).