国际英语新闻：Brazil to create 3 mln jobs in 2011: labor minister

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's Labor Minister Carlos Lupi said Thursday the country will generate 3 million jobs this year.

The minister attributed the high job creation to the pre-salt oil exploration, infrastructure projects for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, as well as the government's Growth Acceleration Program.

Lupi said the job creation figure reached 2.55 million in 2010. If the minister's estimate is consistent with the official figure to be released next week, it will be the highest job generation in Brazilian history, up 150 percent from last year.

The minister also stressed that the positive cycle of the Brazilian economy will not be interrupted.

"I do not believe in a deceleration of the economy. Brazil is in a good cycle, all categories are registering real salary increases," he said.

Last year, Brazil registered record-low 5.7 percent unemployment, as well as record-high average salaries.