The Fear of Unemployment Index reached 51.2 points in September, down 6.7 from June, the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) announced. In the same period, another index, Satisfaction with Life, rose 2.5 points, reaching 67.
Despite the reduced Fear of Unemployment and the rise in Satisfaction with Life, the scene is still dire, the CNI reported, as the Fear of Unemployment Index is 13 points above the historic average, which stands at 48.2 points. The Satisfaction with Life Index is also below the 70-point historic average.
According to the survey, fear of unemployment is higher among people with a family income of up to two minimum wages (US$ 547.86), for whom the indicator was reported at 69.9 in September.
As for education, fear of unemployment is higher than the average among people who graduated from high school (64 points).
Low-income Brazilians are also the least satisfied with life. Among those earning up to a minimum wage (US$ 273.93) a month, the index stands at 65 points. Among those with an income of more than five minimum wages (US$ 1,369.65), the rate reached 70.9 points in September.
The CNI heard 2,002 people in 143 municipalities between 20 and 25 September. The two indicators range from 0 to 100 points.
6,000 Out of Government Jobs
The federal government has expelled about 6,000 public officials for involvement in activities that violate laws on civil service, according to the latest survey released October 10 by the Ministry of Transparency, Oversight, and Comptroller-General.
According to the report, 5,043 government officials were terminated, 467 had their retirement revoked, and 532 were dismissed from their appointed positions between 2003 and September 2016. These figures do not cover statistics for employees of state-run organizations.
According to the ministry, the main reason for the expulsions was evidence of involvement in corruption-related activities, accounting for 4,013 or 65.4% of the total enforced penalties. Job abandonment, absenteeism, or illegal dual office holding ranked next with 1,395 cases.
The largest number of expelled civil servants worked for the Ministry of Social and Agrarian Development, the Ministry of Justice and Citizenship, and the Ministry of Education.
HPV Vaccine for Boys
Starting January 2017, the Brazilian public health system will give the HPV vaccine for 12- to 13-year old boys as part of the National Vaccination Calendar. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common sexually transmitted infection.
According to the Ministry of Health, the age group will be gradually expanded until 2020, when 9- to 13-year old boys will be included.
The expectation is to immunize over 3.6 million children in 2017, in addition to 99,500 children and young people aged 9 to 26, living with HIV/ AIDS in Brazil.
According to the federal government, Brazil will be the first Latin American country and the seventh in the world to give boys the HPV vaccine in the national immunization programs, following the example of the United States, Australia, Austria, Israel, Puerto Rico and Panama.
The HPV vaccination for boys will have two doses with a six-month interval between them. For those who have HIV, the HPV vaccination will have three doses with two- and six- month interval, respectively.
The coordinator of the National Immunization Program, Carla Domingues, pointed out that the Ministry intends to invest in partnerships with public and private schools to provide boys’ and girls’ access to the HPV doses.
“To give vaccine to adolescents is not the same as giving vaccine to children, who are taken in hand by their parents and brought to the health center. It’s more complicated,” she said. “With teenagers, we cannot achieve full vaccination coverage as with children,” he added.
ABr
