December 21 (SeeNews) - Hourly labour costs in Bulgaria grew by an annual 15.1% in the third quarter of 2023, as all sectors marked increases, the National Statistical Institute (NSI) said on Thursday.
The total hourly labour cost rose by 16.6% in industry, 13.9% in services and 17% in construction, the NSI said in a quarterly report, citing preliminary data.
Wage and salary costs went up by an annual 15.8% in July-September, while non-wage labour costs added 11.5% on the year.
In terms of economic activities, the highest annual growth in total labour costs in the review period was registered in education - at 21.9%, followed by accommodation and food service activities with 18.8% and transportation and storage with 17.4%.
Bulgaria came second among the 27 European Union member states in terms of the annual rise in hourly wage costs in the third quarter of 2023, the bloc's statistical office, Eurostat, said last week.