São Paulo, March 24, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - Over one hundred thousand jobs were eliminated between January and February in the São Paulo metropolitan area, causing the unemployment rate to rise from 19.1% to 19.8% of the Economically Active Population (PEA), according to data compiled by the Inter-Union Department of Statistics and Socio-Economic Studies (Dieese), in conjunction with the Seade Foundation. The number of unemployed workers is already up to 1.9 million.

Over this period 58 thousand people entered the labor market, while another 51 thousand desisted. 109 thousand jobs were eliminated, 42 thousand in the area of Services, 25 thousand in Commerce, 21 thousand in Industry, and 21 thousand in other sectors.

The real average income of workers fell 1.1% to R$ 987, after three months of improvement. Average wages remained unchanged at R$ 1,031.

Translator: David Silberstein