Identification and characterization of employment sub-centrality in the metropolitan region of São Paulo

Abstract

This article identifies the central regions of employment in the metropolitan region (MR) of São Paulo. It points to the temporal evolution of these regions, characterizing these areas according to schooling, gender, and the complexity of the economic activities. All private sector companies in the Relação Anual de Informações Sociais (Rais) database were geocoded and distributed into cells of 1, 2, and 4 km², unveiling the geographical distribution of employment in 2002, 2008, and 2014. An objective methodology for identifying subcentralities was applied, overcoming the limitations of other empirical approaches that require prior knowledge of the region. The results indicate three subcentralities in the MR of São Paulo, when more restricted evaluation criteria are used. As the evaluation criteria are relaxed, the number of subcenter business districts (SBD) increases, to the point of creating a large and unique stain of employment in the region. The results indicate a centrifugal movement of employment, but in a concentrated way, suggesting that the agglomeration is important for productivity.