Compared to 2020, average hourly labour costs across the economy increased by 1.2 percent in the euro area and 1.7 percent in the EU.

Among Member States, average hourly labour costs varied between Bulgaria (€7), Romania (€8.5) and Latvia (€11.10) – with the lowest – and Denmark (€46.90), Luxembourg (€43) and Belgium (€41.60) – with the highest.

In the euro area, the indicator dropped in Italy (-1.6 percent) and Spain (-0.3 percent), having increased in the remaining 17 countries, with the biggest increases being recorded in Lithuania (12.5 percent), Estonia (6.5 percent), Cyprus and Slovenia (6.2 percent each).

In Portugal, average hourly labour costs rose from €15.70 in 2020 to €16 in 2021, according to the EU statistics service.

Among Member States outside the euro area, the largest year-on-year increases in the indicator were recorded in Bulgaria (9.1 percent), Poland (8.2 percent) and Hungary (7.3 percent) and the smallest increases were in Sweden and Croatia (3 percent each).