Services sector falls 0.7% in March
May 14, 2019 09h00 AM | Last Updated: May 17, 2019 08h32 AM
The volume of services fell 0.7% in March 2019, in the comparison with February. As a result, the sector accumulates a 1.7% loss in the first three months of the year and eliminates a 0.9% high between October and December 2018.
| Period | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | Nominal Revenue | |
| March 19 / February 19* | -0.7 | -0.6 |
| March 19 / March 18 | -2.3 | 1.1 |
| Cumulative January-March | 1.1 | 4.3 |
| Cumulativ in the last 12 months | 0.6 | 3.5 |
| * Seasonally-adjusted series | ||
In comparison with March 2018, the volume of services fell 2.3%, the sharpest decrease since May 2018 (-3.8%). This result interrupted a series of seven positive rates in a row in this comparison.
The sector accumulates a high of 1.1% in the year, with a better dynamism over the third (0.7%) and fourth (0.9%) quarters of 2018. The cumulative index in 12 months went from 0.7% in February to 0.6% in March, interrupting the upwards trend initiated in April 2017 (-5.1%).
The decrease of 0.7% in the volume of services in March, compared to February, was followed by three of the five activities, with a highlight to the negative pressure of information and communication services (-1.7%). There were also negative changes in professional, administrative and complementary services (-0.1%) and other services (-0.2%). Transportation, support services to transportation and mailing activities (0.5%) and services rendered to families (1.4%) were positive.
The quarterly moving average fell 0.6% in the quarter ended in March, compared to the quarter ended in February. Among the sectors, transportation, support services to transportation and mailing (-1.0%) had the steepest fall, followed by information and communication services (-0.5%). On the other hand, the highest increases came from the services rendered to families and from professional, administrative and complementary services, both with 0.5% advance, followed by other services (0.3%).
Compared with March 2018, the services sector fell by 2.3%, dropping in three of the five activities and in 56.0% of the 166 types of services. The fact that March 2019 had two less workdays than March 2018 contributed to a lower number of service demand. Among the activities, transportation, support services to transportation and mailing (-7.1%) exerted the greatest negative influence. The other negative results came from professional, administrative and complementary services (-2.7%) and other services (-1.3%). On the other hand, the positive contributions came from services rendered to families (4.4%) and information and communication services (0.8%).
In the cumulative index of first quarter, compared to the same period of the previous year, the services sector grew 1.1%, with increases in three of the five activities and 46.4% of the 166 types of services. Among the sectors, information and communication services (3.4%) had the main positive impact on the total index. The other advances came from servicesrendered to families (4.4%) and other services (3.2%). The negative influences in this comparison were with the segments of transportation, support services to transportation and mailing (-1.6%) and professional, administrative and complementary services (-0.7%).
| Monthly Survey of Services Indicators of Volume of Services, by disseminated activities March 2019 - Change (%) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disseminated Activities | MoM (1) | Monthly (2) | Cumulative in the year (3) | Last 12 months (4) | ||||||||
| JAN | FEB | MAR | JAN | FEB | MAR | JAN-JAN | JAN-FEB | JAN-MAR | Up to JAN | UP to FEB | UP to MAR | |
| Volume of Services - Brazil | -0.4 | -0.6 | -0.7 | 2.0 | 3.8 | -2.3 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| 1. Services rendered to families | 1.0 | -0.8 | 1.4 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 1.9 |
| 1.1 Food and lodging services | 0.6 | -0.5 | 1.7 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 5.8 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 5.2 | 1.5 | 2.3 | 2.6 |
| 1.2 Other services rendered to families | 1.8 | -1.1 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 2.3 | -2.7 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 0.1 | -3.0 | -2.2 | -2.0 |
| 2. Communication and information services | -0.2 | 0.4 | -1.7 | 3.4 | 6.2 | 0.8 | 3.4 | 4.7 | 3.4 | 0.3 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
| 2.1 ICT Services | 0.0 | 0.5 | -0.7 | 4.7 | 7.2 | 1.9 | 4.7 | 5.9 | 4.5 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.2 |
| 2.1.1 Telecommunications | 2.0 | -1.5 | -1.4 | 1.2 | 1.1 | -1.5 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.3 | -1.9 | -1.3 | -1.0 |
| 2.1.2 Information technology services | -3.8 | 4.6 | -2.0 | 12.8 | 21.6 | 9.0 | 12.8 | 17.1 | 14.1 | 7.7 | 9.5 | 9.2 |
| 2.2 Audiovisual services | -3.4 | 0.4 | -0.5 | -5.2 | -0.5 | -7.0 | -5.2 | -2.9 | -4.3 | -4.6 | -4.3 | -4.2 |
| 3. Professional. adm, and complementary services | 1.7 | 0.0 | -0.1 | -0.6 | 1.5 | -2.7 | -0.6 | 0.4 | -0.7 | -1.6 | -1.4 | -1.4 |
| 3.1 Technical-professional services | 3.4 | 1.4 | 0.0 | -2.0 | 4.0 | -2.8 | -2.0 | 1.0 | -0.3 | -1.1 | -0.8 | -0.8 |
| 3.2 Adminstrative and complementary services | -1.0 | -0.5 | -1.4 | -0.2 | 0.6 | -2.7 | -0.2 | 0.2 | -0.8 | -1.8 | -1.6 | -1.6 |
| 4. Transportes. serv, aux aos transp, e correio | -0.9 | -2.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 2.4 | -7.1 | 0.6 | 1.5 | -1.6 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.5 |
| 4.1 Land transportation | -1.1 | -0.6 | -1.9 | 1.2 | 3.7 | -6.5 | 1.2 | 2.4 | -0.8 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.5 |
| 4,2 Waterway transportation | 2.4 | -0.7 | -2.0 | 1.2 | 5.8 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 3.5 | 2.5 | -1.5 | -1.9 | -2.0 |
| 4.3 Air transportation | 3.4 | -15.8 | 12.2 | 5.6 | 10.7 | -8.9 | 5.6 | 7.9 | 1.9 | 4.5 | 6.9 | 7.7 |
| 4.4 Storage. support services to transportation and mailing | -0.3 | -5.0 | 2.1 | -1.8 | -2.5 | -9.5 | -1.8 | -2.1 | -4.7 | -1.2 | -1.7 | -2.4 |
| 5. Other services | 5.0 | -3.8 | -0.2 | 5.7 | 5.5 | -1.3 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 3.2 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 2.2 |
| Source: IBGE. Diretoria de Pesquisas. Coordenação de Indústria (1) Base: immediatly previous month - seasonally-adjusted (2) Base: same month a year ago (3) Base: same period a year ago (4) Base: 12 previous months |
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Volume of services fall in 16 of the 27 Federation Units
Of the 27 units of the federation, 16 decreased in March, compared to February, following the 0.7% drop in the national index. Among the places with negative results, the highlights were São Paulo (-0.9%), Rio Grande do Sul (-4.0%) and Mato Grosso (-7.7%). The main positive result came from Rio de Janeiro (1.0%).
In the comparison with March 2018, the 2.3% decrease in the volume of services was followed by 23 of the 27 Federation Units. The main negative influence was Rio de Janeiro (-7.4%), with four of the five sectors in decline, followed by Paraná (-6.7%), Rio Grande do Sul (-6.2%) and Minas Gerais (-3.6%). The most important positive contribution to the formation of the global index came from São Paulo (1.4%), which showed expansion in three of the five activities investigated.
In the cumulative index from January to March 2019, over the same period of the previous year, the 1.1% advance of the volume of services occurred in a more concentrated way, since 11 of the 27 Federation Units registered a rise in real revenue. The main positive impact in regional terms was in São Paulo (4.6%), while Rio de Janeiro (-4.2%) had the most significant negative influence on the national index, followed by Paraná (-2.7%), Ceará (-5.7%) and Rio Grande do Sul (-2.0%).
Tourism activities grew 4.8%
The volume of tourism activities grew by 4.8% in March, in relation to February, after falling by 4.2% in the previous month. Regionally, 11 of the 12 Federation Units followed the growth observed in the country, with the highlights being São Paulo (3.0%), Rio de Janeiro (7.9%), Federal District (18.2%) and Santa Catarina ,2%). On the other hand, the only negative influence came from Espírito Santo (-0.1%).
In comparison with March 2018, the volume of tourism activities increased by 1.9%, driven by the increase in revenue of hotels, restaurants and car rental companies. On the other hand, the segment of air passenger transportation had the most important negative influence on tourism services. In regional terms, seven of the 12 Federation Units advanced in tourism services, with a highlight to São Paulo (3.8%), Rio de Janeiro (3.7%), Bahia (7.1%) and Ceará (10% 4%). On the other hand, the most important negative impacts came from Rio Grande do Sul (-6.5%) and Paraná (-4.2%).
In the cumulative index of 2019, tourism activities grew 3.5%, compared to the same period last year. Regionally, only five of the 12 places surveyed registered positive rates, especially São Paulo (9.8%), followed by Ceará (10.6%) and Pernambuco (2.2%). Rio Grande do Sul (-3.4%), Santa Catarina (-3.0%) and the Federal District (-3.0%) registered the main negative influences in the year for tourism activities.
