Brazil’s government statistical bureau (IBGE) has released data for January showing that job growth in the industrial sector nationwide, which has been slight but steady over the last few months, continues – slight but steady.
Compared to December (2009), there was an increase of 0.3% in employment, which means some 200,000 jobs were created, according to the ministry of Labor. However, lingering effects of the financial crisis remain and can be seen in the comparison with January 2009 – where employment in January 2010 is down 1.1%
Even so, according to Andre Macedo, an economist at IBGE, it appears that a corner has been turned. Job losses have slowed, new jobs are appearing. And that is especially true in certain regions of Brazil.
For example, in the Northeast, where manufacturing is directed at the domestic market, concentrated in footwear and food products mainly, there has been job growth of 2% overall, with the states of Ceará, Pernambuco and Bahia showing strong job growth (6%, 3.4% and 2.9%, respectively).
To put all this in perspective, it must be recalled that at the height (depth?) of the crisis, between November 2008 and the end of the first quarter of 2009, around 790,000 jobs just disappeared in Brazil.
Fiat Recall
Brazil’s Fiat that it will recall slightly less than 52,500 “Stilo” vehicles made between April 2004 and March 2010, so that parts used in the rear wheels can be replaced. There is a danger of a part breaking and the wheel falling off the car.
Fiat initially denied the problem. However, on Tuesday, March 9, the Ministry of Justice fined the company 3 million reais for refusing to acknowledge the issue and refusing to make a recall.
Another fine was applied by the Consumer Protection Foundation of São Paulo, because Fiat continued to manufacture the car with the defect after being informed of the danger by the National Bureau of Standards (Inmetro), the Brazilian Institute for Consumer Defense (Idec) and the Consumer Protection Foundation of São Paulo.
ABr
