Industrial deconcentration and changes in employment in the metropolitan region of São Paulo: 1990 to 2022

Abstract

This article analyzes the spatial transformations in employment within the Manufacturing Industry in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (RMSP) between 1990 and 2022. Using RAIS data for all 645 municipalities in the state of São Paulo, indicators of employment evolution and concentration were developed, alongside an Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA), including maps by employment range and by industrial clusters (LISA). The results show a progressive reduction in both the absolute number and relative share of industrial employment in the RMSP, indicating a clear process of industrial deconcentration at multiple scales. A decrease in employment concentration across municipalities was also observed, with a noticeable shift of industrial clusters toward the interior of the state, particularly along the São Paulo-Campinas axis. Although more limited, the study also identified an interiorization of industrial activity toward more remote regions, usually located near major highways, suggesting a non-random and spatially selective pattern of deconcentration. These findings reinforce the hypothesis of a “concentrated deconcentration” of São Paulo’s industry and contribute to the debate on the territorial impacts of recent transformations in Brazil’s industrial sector.

Keywords: deconcentrating; manufacturing industry; exploratory spatial data analysis (esda); metropolitan region of São Paulo.