The unemployment rate in the Greater São Paulo, in southern Brazil, was steady at 17.5% for the third month in a row according to two new surveys.
That means that 1,757,000 people remain out of work, according to Seade and Dieese, the state data analysis system and the union-linked socio-economic studies department, respectively.
The surveys show that 17,000 jobs were created in the services sector, 5,000 in the manufacturing sector, 7,000 the building and domestic services sectors. On the other hand, some 44,000 jobs were lost in the commerce (retail) sector.
The unemployment rate in Brazil’s six largest metropolitan regions was 9.4% in June, the lowest since December of last year when it was 9.6%.
This survey, conducted regularly by the government statistical bureau (IBGE – Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística), took place in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Salvador, Recife, Belo Horizonte and Porto Alegre, and is known as the Monthly Employment Survey.
For the sake of further comparison, the rate was 10.2% a month ago in May, and 11.7% a year ago in June 2004.
The IBGE reports that its June numbers show that unemployment continues its downward tendency.
The IBGE survey also found an increase of 6.6% in formal jobs, compared to May, which means an additional 492,000 on-the-books jobs were created. Finally, the survey found that wages were up 1.5% in June, compared to May.
ABr