Global General

Brazil's unemployment rate drops to record low

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-10-22 13:33

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil's unemployment rate dropped to a record low of 6.2 percent in September, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) said Thursday.

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According to the IBGE, the unemployment rate was down from 6.7 percent in August and 7.7 percent in the same period last year. So far, it has fallen one percentage point since the beginning of this year.

In September, the number of unemployed totaled 1.5 million, down 7.5 percent from August and 17.7 percent year on year. The number of employed, up 0.7 percent from August, totaled 22.3 million.

The number of workers holding formal jobs in the private sector remained unchanged at 10.3 million compared with August, up 8.6 percent year on year.

The Brazilian workers' average salary reached a record high of 1,499 reais ($885) in September, up 1.3 percent from August and 6.2 percent from the same period last year.

The per capita household income reached 999 reais ($590), up 2.3 percent from August and 8.8 percent year on year.