RURAL AND AGRICULTURAL WORKERS OF SÃO PAULO IN THE CENSUS OF 2000

Abstract

Most of the agricultural workers in São Paulo, the wealthiest State of Brazil, live in urban areas. More than 50% of the workers living in rural households have non-agricultural jobs. In this paper, data from the Census of 2000 are used to analyze the decreasing intersection between "rural" and "agricultural" in five regions of the State of São Paulo. In contrast to what seems to happen in developed countries, in all regions of São Paulo the most common occupations are unskilled (such as house-maids and labourers working on the construction of buildings). For the richest 20% of the population, especially for those living in the metropolitan areas, there is a degree of diversification of off-farm occupations, in areas such as management, sales, and administration.