Press release No. 466 of 9 December 2019
Labour costs per hour worked, 3rd quarter of 2019
+0.9% on the previous quarter (seasonally and calendar adjusted)
+3.1% on the same quarter a year earlier (calendar adjusted)
WIESBADEN – In Germany, labour costs per hour worked rose a calendar adjusted 3.1% in the third quarter of 2019 compared with the third quarter of 2018. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that labour costs were up 0.9% from the previous quarter in seasonally and calendar adjusted terms.
Labour costs consist of gross earnings and non-wage costs. In the third quarter of 2019 the costs of gross earnings increased a calendar adjusted 3.1% year on year, while non-wage costs were up by 2.9%.
The international comparison with the other Member States of the European Union (EU) is based on industry and the support services sector. Among other things, the public service and the health sector are not included here. Rates of labour cost change for the second quarter of 2019 are available for all EU Member States. According to those results, the price of one hour worked in Germany rose by 2.7% in calendar adjusted terms on the second quarter of 2018. Over that period, the labour cost increase in Germany was slightly below the EU average of +3.1%. The highest growth rates within the EU were recorded in Romania (+12.4%) and Bulgaria (+11.0%). However, these are the two countries with the lowest labour costs levels anyway. Portugal recorded the lowest increase (0.9%) in all of the EU. In our neighbouring country France, the increase in labour costs (2.0%) was lower than in Germany.
| Year, quarter | Index of labour costs, total | Index of gross earnings | Index of non-wage costs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Calendar-adjusted, Census X-12-ARIMA 2 Calendar and seasonally adjusted, Census X-12-ARIMA | ||||
| Change on the previous year in % 1 | ||||
| 2010 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 3.3 | |
| 2011 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 2.5 | |
| 2012 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 2.1 | |
| 2013 | 0.8 | 1.4 | -0.9 | |
| 2014 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 3.5 | |
| 2015 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 3.3 | |
| 2016 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.5 | |
| 2017 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 3.5 | |
| 2018 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 1.7 | |
| Change on the same quarter a year earlier in % 1 | ||||
| 2017 | 1st quarter | 3.0 | 2.1 | 6.4 |
| 2nd quarter | 3.1 | 3.3 | 2.4 | |
| 3rd quarter | 2.8 | 2.4 | 4.0 | |
| 4th quarter | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.8 | |
| 2018 | 1st quarter | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.3 |
| 2nd quarter | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.1 | |
| 3rd quarter | 2.9 | 3.2 | 2.1 | |
| 4th quarter | 2.2 | 2.7 | 0.5 | |
| 2019 | 1st quarter | 2.9 | 3.1 | 2.0 |
| 2nd quarter | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.5 | |
| 3rd quarter | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.9 | |
| Change on the previous quarter in % 2 | ||||
| 2017 | 1st quarter | 0.8 | 0.6 | 1.4 |
| 2nd quarter | 0.0 | 0.3 | -1.2 | |
| 3rd quarter | 0.6 | 0.4 | 1.2 | |
| 4th quarter | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.6 | |
| 2018 | 1st quarter | 1.0 | 0.9 | 1.3 |
| 2nd quarter | 0.0 | 0.3 | -1.0 | |
| 3rd quarter | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.1 | |
| 4th quarter | 0.0 | 0.2 | -0.8 | |
| 2019 | 1st quarter | 1.6 | 1.3 | 2.4 |
| 2nd quarter | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | |
| 3rd quarter | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.6 | |
| Index of labour costs, total | Change 2nd quarter 2019 to 2nd quarter 2018 1 | Year 2018 2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Index of labour costs, total | Index of gross earnings | Index of non-wage costs | Labour costs per hour worked | |
| in % 3 | EUR | |||
| 1 Source: Eurostat Online Database of 4 September 2019 and calculations by Destatis. 2 Source: Eurostat Online Database of 30 April 2018 and calculations by Destatis. 3 Calendar adjusted applying national methods. | ||||
| European Union | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 26.60 |
| Euro currency area | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 23.50 |
| Belgium | 2.0 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 40.00 |
| Bulgaria | 11.0 | 10.9 | 11.6 | 5.30 |
| Denmark | 2.4 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 44.70 |
| Germany | 2.7 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 35.00 |
| Estonia | 8.3 | 8.4 | 8.3 | 12.60 |
| Finland | 1.5 | 2.1 | -1.1 | 34.50 |
| France | 2.0 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 36.50 |
| Greece | 2.1 | - | - | 16.10 |
| Ireland | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 30.50 |
| Italy | 1.6 | 1.1 | 2.9 | 27.20 |
| Croatia | 2.3 | 2.8 | -1.0 | 10.90 |
| Latvia | 6.8 | 6.5 | 8.0 | 9.70 |
| Lithuania | 4.6 | / | / | 9.20 |
| Luxembourg | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 40.30 |
| Malta | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 14.10 |
| Netherlands | 2.3 | 1.8 | 4.2 | 34.70 |
| Austria | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 34.90 |
| Poland | 7.8 | 7.2 | 10.3 | 9.90 |
| Portugal | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 13.30 |
| Romania | 12.4 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 6.50 |
| Sweden | 1.8 | 2.4 | 0.6 | 39.30 |
| Slovakia | 10.6 | 10.7 | 10.3 | 11.80 |
| Slovenia | 4.9 | 5.2 | 3.1 | 18.30 |
| Spain | 3.2 | 2.8 | 4.3 | 21.30 |
| Czech Republic | 8.0 | 8.0 | 7.9 | 12.70 |
| Hungary | 10.1 | 9.7 | 12.3 | 9.90 |
| United Kingdom | 3.5 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 26.30 |
| Cyprus | 5.2 | 3.1 | 16.2 | 14.40 |
Methodological notes
The rates of labour cost change in countries outside the euro area are measured in the relevant national currency and, consequently, are not currency adjusted.
The rates of change of labour costs are based on the results of the labour cost index. The latter measures the change in labour costs and additionally provides a breakdown of labour costs into their two components, namely gross earnings and non-wage costs. In all three indices, the costs borne by employers are compared with the hours actually worked by employees.
Revisions in the data sources used for calculating the labour cost index led to adjustments of the growth rates of the labour cost index. For instance, the calendar adjusted year-on-year rate of increase of the labour cost index was revised upwards for the second quarter of 2019 from +3.2% to +3.4%.
Detailed data and time series relating to the labour cost indices by branches of economic activity can be called up free of charge via table 62421-0001 in the GENESIS-Online database.
Data for European comparisons are available under Europe in Figures.
