Croatia reported the biggest increase in hourly labour costs in the European Union in the fourth quarter of last year, with an increase of 13.9% compared to the same quarter the previous year.
Other countries to report a notable increase in hourly labour costs for the period included Romania (+13.1%), Bulgaria (+13.0%), Hungary (+11.9%), Latvia (+11.4%) and Lithuania (+10.7%), according to the Eurostat data.
At the other end of the scale, Luxembourg reported a 0.9% increase in hourly labour costs in the period, while France was up 1.7% and Belgium rose 2.2%.
Labour costs in the EU
Overall, in the fourth quarter of 2024, hourly labour costs increased by 4.3% in the EU compared with the same period in 2023. Wages and salaries were up by 4.7%, and non-wage costs rose by 3.0%.
On a sector-by-sector basis, hourly labour costs grew by 4.1% in the non-business economy and by 4.4% in the business economy, reporting a 4.9% increase in industry, 4.5% in construction and 4.2% in services, Eurostat‘s data showed.
The specific sectors that reported the highest increases in hourly wage costs were ‘mining and quarrying’ (+6.8%) and ‘arts, entertainment and recreation’ (+5.6%). Read more here.
Hourly Labour Cost Increases by EU Member State, Q4 2024 (%)
| Country | Labour Cost Increase (%) |
|---|---|
| Croatia | 13.9 |
| Poland | 13.8 |
| Romania | 13.1 |
| Bulgaria | 13.0 |
| Hungary | 11.9 |
| Latvia | 11.4 |
| Lithuania | 10.7 |
| Portugal | 9.6 |
| Slovenia | 7.3 |
| Estonia | 7.0 |
| Austria | 7.0 |
| Czechia | 6.5 |
| Malta | 6.4 |
| Netherlands | 6.2 |
| Ireland | 5.4 |
| Cyprus | 5.4 |
| Greece | 5.1 |
| Slovakia | 5.0 |
| Germany | 4.4 |
| Italy | 4.3 |
| Denmark | 4.1 |
| Sweden | 3.8 |
| Finland | 3.4 |
| Spain | 3.2 |
| Belgium | 2.2 |
| France | 1.7 |
| Luxembourg | 0.9 |
