Formal employment in agriculture: a spatial analysis 1989-2009

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the spatial distribution -total and by gender - of formal employment in Brazilian agriculture, by exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA). After collecting data and analyzing the dispersion of formal employment for men and women, it is possible to show whether there is interference from the income of this sector by gender in the location of formal employment, that refers to the 558 geographical micro-regions of the country and the Annual Relation of Social Information (RAIS) was used for the years 1989, 1999 and 2009. Clear participation of the largest state of Sao Paulo in the number of formal contracts was identified on the three study periods. This trend was explained by the composition of agricultural production of the state which has products that require intensive labor, such as sugar cane, coffee and orange. Furthermore, it has been observed, when unbundled formal employment by gender, an increase in the number of hiring women to work in agriculture. This fact maintains this state as the largest applicant's formal workforce to support the expansion of plantations. However, this growth occurs in a percentage much lower than hiring manpower male, so, female participation is still limited in the universe of formal labor market.