With poor manufacturing output and no immediate likelihood of an increase in demand, the number of people employed in Brazilian industry fell by 6.2% in 2015, according to data published on Thursday by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).

According to the Industrial Monthly Employment and Salary Survey, this is the heaviest period of redundancies since records began in 2002.

The most affected sector was transport (cars, planes and boats), with an 11.4% fall in employment. To try and reduce their stocks, manufacturers implemented collective holidays, suspensions and redundancies.

All 18 sectors covered by the survey laid off more staff than they took on in 2015.

Another figure of concern is the 6.7% fall in the number of hours paid to employees, the worst result since records began. All 18 sectors registered a fall for this indicator.

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Folha de Sao Paulo