Rio, May 25, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - Unemployment affected 13.1% of Brazil's economically active population in April. This was the highest percentage since October, 2001, when a new methodology was introduced in the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistic's (IBGE) Monthly Employment Survey. The rate in March was 12.8%, and in April, 2003, 12.4%.

According to the IBGE study, which was released today, there were 2.8 million people looking for work in the country's six major metropolitan areas, 220 thousand more than during the same period last year. For the IBGE, the increase in unemployment at this time of year was already expected, since the economy has still not heated up, whereas the tendency in the second half of the year is for the unemployment rate to decline.

Also according to the study, workers' real average income fell 0.9% in April, compared with March, and 3.5%, compared with April, 2003.

Reporter: Cristiane Ribeiro
Translator: David Silberstein