September 21 (SeeNews) - Hourly labour costs in Bulgaria went up by 13.8% on the year in the second quarter of 2023, as all sectors posted rises, the National Statistical Institute (NSI) said on Thursday.
The total hourly labour cost grew by 19.3% in industry, 13.7% in services and 16.1% in construction, the NSI said in a quarterly report, citing preliminary data.
Salary costs added an annual 14.2% in April-June, while non-wage labour costs climbed 11.9% year-on-year.
In terms of economic activities, the highest annual growth in total labour costs in the review period was recorded in accommodation and food service activities - by 24% on the year, followed by a 20.1% rise in manufacturing and an 18.3% increase in electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply.
Bulgaria came in fifth among the 27 European Union member states in terms of annual growth in hourly wage costs in the second quarter of 2023, the bloc's statistical office, Eurostat, said last week.