São Paulo, April 22, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - The unemployment rate in the São Paulo metropolitan area rose from 19.8% in February to 20.6% in March, raising the number of unemployed workers to two million. 94 thousand jobs were eliminated, most of them in industy. The only sectors in which hiring increased were domestic services and construction. Even with these new openings, which totaled 35 thousand, it was impossible to avoid a new unemployment record. Those who are most affected are young people in the 18-24 age group.

These figures are part of a study by the government of São Paulo's Seade (State System of Data Analysis) Foundation and the Dieese (Inter-Union Department of Statistics and Socio-Economic Studies).

Translator: David Silberstein