March 22 (SeeNews) - Hourly labour costs in Bulgaria grew by 16.1% in the final quarter of 2022, the National Statistical Institute (NSI) said on Wednesday, mostly driven by a jump in the industry sector, citing preliminary data.
The total hourly labour cost rose by 21.3% in industry, 17.8% in services and 11.0% in construction, the NSI said in a data release.
Salary costs expanded by an annual 16.5% in the review quarter, while other, non-wage labour costs rose by 13.8% year on year.
In terms of economic activities, the highest annual growth in total labour costs in the fourth quarter of last year was registered in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply segment - by 33.3% on the year, followed by a 32.9% cost jump in accommodation and food service activities, and a 25.2% rise in arts, entertainment and recreation.
No declines in total labour costs were recorded in any economic activities, according to the NSI data set.
Bulgaria's average annual inflation in 2022 was 15.3%, with consumer prices rising by 16.9% year-on-year in December, the NSI said in January.