Unemployment rate higher in three metropolitan areas in July

The unemployment rate faced an increase in three of the four metropolitan areas in July, according to figures from the Monthly Employment Survey (“PME”) released today (Aug 21) by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (“IBGE”).

The metropolitan region of São Paulo was the only one reported to have experienced a decline: 5.1% in June, against 4.9% in July. The increase for Recife (capital state of Pernambuco) was from 6.2% to 6.6%. The expansion in the metropolitan regions of Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais) was 3.2% to 3.6%, and 3.9% to 4.1%, respectively.

Against the year-earlier month, however, a reduction was observed in all four regions.

Due to a strike among IBGE employees, the rates for Salvador and Porto Alegre are still not available.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira