(02 April 2020) – In 2019, average hourly labour costs in the whole economy (excluding agriculture and public administration) were estimated to be €27.7 in the EU27 Member States and €31.4 in the euro area.
However, the average masks significant gaps between EU Member States, with the lowest hourly labour costs recorded in Bulgaria (€6.0), Romania (€7.7), Lithuania (€9.4), Hungary and Latvia (both €9.9), and the highest in Denmark (€44.7), Luxembourg (€41.6), Belgium (€40.5), France (€36.6), the Netherlands (€36.4), Sweden (€36.3), Germany (€35.6) and Austria (€34.7).
Hourly labour costs in industry were €28.1 in the EU and €34.1 in the euro area. In construction, they were €24.8 and €28.0, respectively. In services, hourly labour costs were €27.5 in the EU and €30.4 in the euro area. In the mainly non-business economy (excluding public administration), they were €28.4 and €31.8, respectively.
Labour costs consist of wages & salaries and non-wage costs (e.g. employers’ social contributions). The share of non-wage costs in total labour costs for the whole economy was 25.1% in the EU and 25.6% in the euro area. It ranged from 5.3% in Lithuania to 32.9% in France.