Unemployment in Brazil unexpectedly edged higher in August from July as signs of a recovery in Latin America's largest economy prompted more people to look for work. The jobless rate rose to 8.1 percent in August from 8 percent in July, statistics agency IBGE said on Thursday.
The unemployment rate was expected to remain at 8 percent, according to the median forecast of 21 economists surveyed by Reuters. The estimates ranged from 7.6 percent to 8.3 percent. The number of Brazilians with jobs firmed 0.5 percent month-on-month to 21.4 million people and was up 0.9 percent from August 2008.
The tally of people who went unsuccessfully looking for work jumped 1.9 percent in August from July to 1.89 million people. The figure surged 7.8 percent from a year earlier. Real wages rose 0.9 percent in August from July, underscoring the importance of household spending to a rebound in Latin America's largest economy.
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