The service sector grew 10.9% in 2021, after a drop of 7.8% in 2020. According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), which released today (10) data from the Monthly Service Survey (PMS), last year’s rate was the highest for an annual closing since the beginning of the historical series in 2012. In December, the sector had an expansion of 1.4% in relation to November.
With this performance, the service sector expanded its distance from the pre-pandemic level and was 6.6% above that recorded in February 2020. In addition, it reached the highest level since August 2015. However, it is still 5.6% below the record reached in November 2014.
In comparison with December 2020, the sector had the tenth consecutive positive rate, with 10.4%. The index accumulated in the last 12 months is 9.5% up to November and 10.9% up to December, which means that it has maintained its upward trend since February 2021, when it fell by 8.6%.
Between 2012 and 2019, the service sector accumulated a positive variation of 0.1%. In the 2020-2021 biennium, it grew by 2.2%, and a good part of the accumulated growth of 2.3% in the last 10 years is due to the more dynamic performance of some service segments in 2021.
“In the first months of 2020, the service sector was severely affected due to the need for social isolation and the closing of establishments that provided in-person services. On the other hand, the pandemic brought business opportunities for services aimed at companies such as information technology, cargo transport, warehousing, transport logistics and auxiliary financial services, which had more expressive gains and compensated for the losses of face-to-face services. ”, said the research manager, Rodrigo Lobo.
Lobo also drew attention to the increase in all activities at the end of the year. “This is the second time in the series that all activities grow simultaneously. Of the ten years in the series, the sector closed positive in five (2012, 2013, 2014, 2019 and 2021), and, of these five, only in 2012 and 2021 there was growth in all activities,” he said.
The highlights for the 2021 result were transport, auxiliary transport services and mail, with an increase of 15.1%; and information and communication, which grew 9.4%. The two activities overcame declines of 7.6% and 1.6%, respectively, in 2020.
The activities of professional, administrative and complementary services also grew (7.3%); services provided to families (18.2%); and other services (5.0%). The survey showed that in professional, administrative and complementary services and in services provided to families, the increases in 2021 were not enough to offset the declines in 2020, respectively, of 11.4% and 35.6%. A different movement had the activity of other services, which has advanced since 2018, having grown by 6.8% in 2020.
Recovery
According to Rodrigo Lobo, since June 2020, when the sector’s recovery began, there have been 15 positive rates and four negative rates in the months of December 2020, March, September and October 2021. “This confirms a context of growth for the sector “, he said.
In December, four of the five activities investigated grew and the biggest impact was the transport sector, which rose 1.8%. This is the second consecutive positive result, with an accumulated gain of 4%. Although it is 9.8% above its pre-pandemic level, the sector is still 5.2% below its series high in February 2014.
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