Industrial employment has biggest monthly increase of the decade
Folha de S. Paulo
Employment in the industry already gives clearer signs of recovery despite being far from offsetting the losses caused by the crisis that started in September 2008. Last November, the total of persons employed in the sector grew 1.1% compared to the previous month in the comparison free of seasonal influences. It was the fifth consecutive positive rate and the biggest increase, in this comparison, of the historic series of the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics), which started in 2001.
In these five months of growth, employment increased 2.7%, although it accumulated a 7.3% negative balance in the months following the outburst of the crisis - from October 2008 to June of last year. "Employment grows following the growth of production, which has been increasing. But it is still at an insufficient pace to make up for all the losses occurred when the industry went through a strong adjustment and laid off a great contingent of workers", assesses the IBGE Economist André Macedo.
A proof the industry has not fully recovered is the weak results compared to the same period of 2008 - in November, employment fell 4.1% on this basis. According to Macedo, the perspectives for 2010 are more optimistic. The point is that the entrepreneurs are more confident in the improvement of the economy and are already beginning - and need - to increase the number of working hours of their employees.
This is a sign that precedes the hiring. Before opening a job vacancy, Macedo affirms, the entrepreneur makes use of the payment of overtime work, but if the demand remains strong, then he chooses hiring. The growth of the paid hours - 0.9% from October to November - illustrates such situation and suggests there should be new hiring in the following months. The indicator registered the sixth consecutive month of expansion in November. It accumulates a 3.3% increase in the period.
The Iedi (Institute for Studies in Industrial Development) says that, even though "there are good perspectives" for the employment in the industry, the sector will only zero the losses from the crisis in April this year. That in case the occupation keeps the record pace of November, which analysts say is not likely.
Regarding the payroll, measure of the income of the industry, it fell 0.8% in November compared to October in the comparison with seasonal adjustment, after going up for two months. Compared to November 2008, it retreated 2.7%.
Thanks to the adjustment of the minimum wage, the payroll was the indicator that suffered the less with the crisis and accumulated a lesser loss in 2009: 2.7% until November. Employment fell 5.2% and the paid hours 5.6%.