METROPOLITAN UNEMPLOYMENT IN BRAZIL: 1999-2007

Abstract

The paper approaches the unemployment in the metropolitan areas of Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre, Recife, Salvador and São Paulo, as well as in Federal District, Brazil, in the period 1999-2007. Initially, it is analysed the evolution of the total unemployment rate, the unemployment rate by type and the average time of unemployment. Subsequently, a method of decomposition is applied to deal with changes in the participation of population and socioeconomic groups in the stock of unemployed of each region. The study shows that there was reduction in the incidence of unemployment in all areas since 2004, which was combined with a better macroeconomic performance of the country since that year. Concerning the changes in the unemployment composition, the paper shows that occurred an increase in the participation of women, adults and more educated workers in the stocks of the unemployed of the regions, and a reduction in the participation of household heads.