São Paulo – Unemployment in the metropolitan region of São Paulo fell in September for the sixth consecutive month. The unemployment rate dropped from 18.3% to 17.9%, according to the latest employment survey by the state data analysis agency (Fundação Sistema Estadual de Análise de Dados) (Seade) and the union-linked socio-economic statistics department (Departamento Intersindical de Estatística e Estudos Sócio-Econômicos) (Dieese).

The services sector contracted 46,000 new workers in September; the industrial sector contracted 13,000; and other sectors contracted 11,000. On the other hand, in the commerce sector a total of 45,000 jobs were lost.

Real wages were down 1.1% in September, with the average monthly earnings of workers now at US$349 (R$1,003).

Agência Brasil
Reporter:Pedro Malavolta
Translator: Allen Bennett
10/29/200