Rio, 3/17/2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - There was a real increase in industrial sector payrolls in January, reports the government statistical bureau (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). The increase was 7.7%, compared to January 2003, and 10.7%, compared to December 2003. The IBGE explains that lower inflation for the year and the postponement of some payments (vacation pay and profit sharing) from December to January, influenced the result.

Although there was a drop of 3.1% in payrolls in the twelve-month period ending in January, it was lower than the drop in December 2003, when it fell 4.3%. And that, along with an increase in sector payroll averages for the quarter, says the IBGE, shows that industrial sector revenue is stronger. (AB)