Brazilian president promises more employment in 2017

In his year-end national address, Brazilian President Michel Temer said Thursday while 2016 saw a fight against recession, 2017 would be "the year of employment", and so people should "think positively" in the year to come.

Temer provided a report on the reforms his government has sent to the Congress, including the approval of cap on federal spending (PEC) for 20 years, and advances in social security and labor reforms.

The PEC was approved in early December and is seen as the major legislative victory for Temer's government, since it assumed full office on Aug. 31, after the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff.

This move essentially allows public spending to only rise based on inflation for the next two decades but opponents say this will leave the education and health care systems dangerously underfunded.

Temer said his government was also very concerned about the latest figures showing unemployment at a record high of 11.9 percent, or 12.1 million Brazilians out of work.

However, the president said unemployment rate would begin to fall in the second half of 2017.

His message may have been somewhat dimmed by a government statement issued on Thursday that 4,600 public official positions will be cut starting in January 2017. Endit