Industry structure and distribution of occupations in brazilian regions, 2006-2011

Abstract

The recent regional literature has shown a growing interest in the use of employment information by sectorial occupation. This is due to the emergence of a new economy anchored in technologies which allow greater flexibility in the organization of production, resulting in a separation of functions in different geographic areas and greater production fragmentation. Companies can locate research, innovation and development activities in some specific regions while placing operational activities in others, which lead to regional functional specializations. This research analyzes the differences between the structures of occupations in Brazilian states compared to the national average. The results point out that the differences are significant, especially for knowledge-intensive occupations. This information indicates that traditional strategies based on sectors or companies only may be insufficient for promoting regional development.