Even in complicated periods in the history of Brazil, the services managed to grow (Aline Can / SEE)
The service sector is expected to shrink for the first time since the country returned to have direct elections for the presidency. In a report on Monday in the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, economists estimated fall of 1.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) of the segment this year. If the estimate is confirmed, it will be the first decrease since 1990, the beginning of the Collor government.
The service sector, which encompasses such diverse areas as lending, health, education and even hairdressers, represents 61% of gross domestic product and 71% of employment in the country.
Even in troubled periods in Brazilian history, the services could circumvent the crisis and grow. This is how the power blackout in 2001, Lula's pre-election crisis in 2003 or the global turmoil of 2008. The trend should be halted now in government Dilma.
"We are facing a prolonged recession, which began in 2014 and runs until 2016. Even this sector, which is relatively shielded from external shocks and temporary falls activity, suffers," said Silvia Matos, an economist from the Brazilian Institute of Economics of the Getulio Vargas Foundation (IBRE / FGV).
The service sector is divided into three subsectors: services rendered to families, businesses and the government. It turns out that all of them are suffering from the economic crisis, especially with weak industrial activity, fall in the population's purchasing power and contingency spending promoted by the state.
