5/22/2014 2:41:04 PM

Brazilian jobless rate fell slightly for the second consecutive month to 4.9 percent in April of 2014 from 5 percent in March, as more people dropped out from the labor force.

The number of unemployed people fell 17 percent compared with a year earlier to 1.2 million people, but showed no changes over the previous month. While employment remained flat at 22.9 million people, the number of people either employed or actively looking for work fell 0.85 percent over a year earlier.
Average real wages at R$ 2028 fell slightly by 0.6 percent from March to April, but increased 2.6 percent over the previous year. Compared with the previous month, construction recorded the highest wage increase (2.3 percent), while wages in education, health and social services sector fell the most by 2.4 percent.
Year-on-year, earnings surged 10.8 percent in construction and decreased 1 percent in mining, manufacturing, electricity and gas production.
Regionally, unemployment increased in Recife to 6.3 percent but São Salvador recorded the highest jobless rate (9.1 percent from 9.2 percent in March). Unemployment was recorded at 5.2 percent in São Paulo and 3.5 percent in Rio de Janeiro.