Brazil's unemployment rate stood at 8.6% in March, as against the 8.7% rate recorded in February. The rate also decreased in comparison with the same month of last year (10.1%). The rate is the lowest for the month of March since 2002.
The data were surveyed in six regions of Brazil by the Monthly Employment Survey of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and was disclosed this Thursday, April 24.
According to the survey, the rate of employed persons in March decreased 0.6% over February, representing 122,000 people in the labor market. In comparison with March 2007, grew 3.5%, the equivalent of 713,000 job positions.
Real average income of employed persons in the period surveyed was 1,188.90 reais (US$ 717). The value is 0.6% lower than recorded in February 2008 and 2% higher than in March 2007.
According to data disclosed in mid March by the Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics (IBGE), industrial employment decreased 0.4% in January compared with December 2007, in the seasonally adjusted series.
In the monthly analysis, however, the indicator was positive, showing an increase of 2.8% compared with the same month last year. According to the IBGE, the result confirmed a sequence of 19 consecutive positive growth rates, which total an increase of 2.3% in a 12-month period.
The IBGE highlighted the fact that this is the highest accumulated industrial occupation rate in a 12-month period since 2005, when the rate was 2.4%. Industrial employment growth in January was influenced by the positive results recorded in 12 of the 14 locations surveyed.
The southeastern Brazilian state of São Paulo led the expansion of industrial employment with a 4.7% rise. Sector highlights in January were machinery and equipment (12.5%), transport (10.8%), metal products (11.6%) and machinery, electric and electronic devices, and communication devices (12.5%).
ABr
