Vierde kwartaal 2012: uurloon eurozone en EU27 stijgt met 1,3% (en)

STAT/13/42

1 5 March 2013

Fourth quarter of 2012 compared with fourth quarter of 2011

Euro area and EU27 hourly labour costs up by 1.3%

H ourly labour costs 1 in the euro area 2 (EA17) rose by 1.3% in the year up to the fourth quarter of 2012, compared with 1.8% for the third quarter of 2012 3 . In the EU27 2 , the annual rise was also 1.3% up to the fourth quarter of 2012, compared with 1.8% in the previous quarter 3 . These figures are published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union .

The two main components of labour costs are wages & salaries and non-wage costs. In the euro area , wages & salaries per hour worked grew by 1.4% and the non-wage component by 1.0% in the year up to the fourth quarter of 2012, compared with 2.0% and 1.4% respectively for the previous quarter. In the EU27 , hourly wages & salaries rose by 1.4% and the non-wage component by 1.2% in the year up to the fourth quarter of 2012, compared with 1.9% and 1.7% respectively for the third quarter of 2012.

Figures and graphics available in PDF and WORD PROCESSED

Business and mainly non-business economy

Hourly labour costs for the business economy rose by 1.9% in the euro area in the year up to the fourth quarter of 2012, compared with 2.2% for the third quarter. In the EU27 , the annual rise was 2.1% for the fourth quarter of 2012, compared with 2.3% for the previous quarter.

Hourly labour cost s for the mainly non-business economy remained stable in the euro area in the year up to the fourth quarter of 2012, compared with +0.9% for the third quarter. In the EU27 , hourly labour costs fell by 0.4% in the year up to the fourth quarter of 2012, compared with +0.8% for the previous quarter.

A breakdown of the business economy by economic activity shows that in the euro area , hourly labour costs rose by 2.5% in industry, 2.1% in construction and 1.5% in services in the year up to the fourth quarter of 2012. In the EU27 , labour costs per hour grew by 2.6% in industry, 1.2% in construction and 2.0% in services.

Member States

Among the Member States for which data are available for the fourth quarter of 2012, the highest annual increases in hourly labour costs for the whole economy were registered in Romania (+7.6%) and Estonia (+6.7%), and the smallest in Cyprus and Malta (both +0.5%) and Italy (+0.6%). Decreases were recorded in Spain (-3.4%) and Slovenia (-2.1%).

In the business economy, the highest growth rates in the year up to the fourth quarter 2012 were observed in Estonia (+7.1%) and Hungary (+6.5%). Decreases were recorded in Malta (-0.9%) and Slovenia (-0.7%).

In the mainly non-business economy, the highest increases in the year up to the fourth quarter 2012 were recorded in Romania (+14.1%), Austria (+5.6%) and Estonia (+5.1%). Decreases were observed in Spain (-11.5%), Slovenia (-5.3%), the United Kingdom (-4.0%), the Czech Republic and Italy (both -0.5%) and Ireland (-0.3%).

Figures and graphics available in PDF and WORD PROCESSED

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  Not working day adjusted

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  Eurostat publishes Labour Cost Index data for NACE Rev. 2 sections B to S. The aggregate is referred to as "Whole economy" for the sake of simplification. For the EU and EA aggregates, these series are available from 2008 onwards. The aggregate of NACE Rev. 2 B to N is referred to as "business economy". The aggregate of NACE Rev. 2 sections O to S is referred to as "mainly non-business economy". Please note that any private firm providing services in any of the sections O to S (e.g. education or health services) is also included in this aggregate. For more details on the definition of the NACE sections, please see the methodological notes.

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  The euro area (EA1 7) consists of Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland.

The EU27 includes Belgium (BE), Bulgaria (BG), the Czech Republic (CZ), Denmark (DK), Germany (DE), Estonia (EE), Ireland (IE), Greece (EL), Spain (ES), France (FR), Italy (IT), Cyprus (CY), Latvia (LV), Lithuania (LT), Luxembourg (LU), Hungary (HU), Malta (MT), the Netherlands (NL), Austria (AT), Poland (PL), Portugal (PT), Romania (RO), Slovenia (SI), Slovakia (SK), Finland (FI), Sweden (SE) and the United Kingdom (UK).

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  Compared with News Release 184/2012 of 17 December 2012, annual growth rates for the total economy for the third quarter of 2012 are revised from +2.0% to +1.8% for the EA17 and from +1.9% to +1.8% for the EU27.

Labour Cost Index

The Labour Cost Index is a short-term indicator showing the development of hourly labour costs incurred by employers. It is calculated dividing the labour cost by the number of hours worked, therefore the development of both variables, labour costs and hours worked, affect the evolution of the index. The quarterly changes in hourly employers’ costs are measured for the total labour costs and the main components, namely wages and salaries on one hand, and labour costs other than wages and salaries (non-wage costs) on the other hand.

Total Labour Costs (TOT ) cover wage and non-wage costs less subsidies. It does not include vocational training costs or other expenditures such as recruitment costs, spending on working clothes, etc.

Wage and salary costs (WAG ) include direct remunerations, bonuses, and allowances paid by an employer in cash or in kind to an employee in return for work done, payments to employees saving schemes, payments for days not worked and remunerations in kind such as food, drink, fuel, company cars, etc.

Labour costs other than wages and salaries (OTH - non-wage costs ) include the employers’ social contributions plus employment taxes regarded as labour costs less subsidies intended to refund part or all of the employer’s cost of direct remuneration.

The labour cost index covers the following economic activities:

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  The business economy (NACE Rev. 2 sections B to N); for the EU/EA aggregates this accounts for about 70% of the labour costs of the whole economy. It can further be broken down into:

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  Industry (NACE Rev. 2 sections B to E); B Mining and quarrying, C Manufacturing, D Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply, E Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities.

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  Construction (NACE Rev. 2 section F).

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  Services (NACE Rev. 2 sections G to N); G Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles,

H Transportation and storage, I Accommodation and food service activities, J Information and communication, K Financial and insurance activities, L Real estate activities, M Professional, scientific and technical activities, N Administrative and support service activities.

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  The mainly n on-business economy (NACE Rev. 2 sections O to S); for the EU/EA aggregates this accounts for about 30% of the labour costs of the whole economy. It contains O Public administration and defence; compulsory social security, P Education, Q Human health and social work activities, R Arts, entertainment and recreation, S Other service activities.

Data in the tables are shown as percentage changes compared with the same quarter of the previous year. To eliminate the effects of varying numbers of working days in the same quarters of different years (Easter and other moving holidays) these changes are presented in working day adjusted form. Indices are based on Regulation (EC) No 450/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the European Union Labour Cost Index.

The data should not be considered as final as indices transmitted by Member States may be revised at a later date, in which case aggregates are recalculated.

Additional information on index levels and quarterly changes are available on the Eurostat internet site. Information on labour cost levels in euro and national currency are available at:

http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Labour_cost_index_-_recent_trends

E stimated labour costs levels in euro and national currency for 2012 will be published by Eurostat by mid-April.

Information on other earnings and labour cost indicators can be found on the Eurostat internet site under: Statistics Database / Population and social conditions / Labour market / Labour costs.

Other information

Greece and Portugal : Eurostat estimates for missing data are used for the calculation of EU- and EA-aggregates.

Hungary : The source data relates to private enterprises employing at least 5 persons and government organizations of all size classes.

Selected Principal European Economic Indicators: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/euroindicators

Nominal hourly labour costs

% change compared with same quarter of previous year - working day adjusted

Labour cost data are subject to revision, in particular for the latest quarters, when new source data become available.

• : 

  Data not available

• * 

  Not working day adjusted

TOTAL = total labour costs WAGES = wage and salary costs OTHER = non-wage costs

Nominal hourly labour costs for the business and mainly non-business economy

% change compared with same quarter of previous year - working day adjusted

Labour cost data are subject to revision, in particular for the latest quarters, when new source data become available.

• : 

  Data not available

• * 

  Not working day adjusted

TOT = total labour costs WAG = wage and salary costs OTH = non-wage costs

Nominal hourly labour costs by main economic activity branches for the business economy

% change compared with same quarter of previous year - working day adjusted

Labour cost data are subject to revision, in particular for the latest quarters, when new source data become available.

c Confidential

• : 

  Data not available

• * 

  Not working day adjusted

TOT = total labour costs WAG = wage and salary costs OTH = non-wage costs