Weekly Report - 24 November 2011 (WR-11-47)

BRAZIL | Unemployment at record low. The official rate of unemployment in the six major urban areas was just 5.8% in October, down from 6% in September (and 6.1% in October 2010), according to the national statistics institute (Ibge). It was the lowest rate for the month since October 2002. Brazil has nigh on full employment, with a total occupied population of 22.68m. The number of unemployed fell a sharp 4.5% month-on-month between September and October to a new low of 1.39m.