In the 3rd quarter, the average monthly gross wages and salaries increased almost 7% year over year
Compared to the 3rd quarter of 2014, without irregular bonuses and premiums, the average monthly gross wages and salaries increased 7.0% in the 3rd quarter of 2015. Irregular bonuses and premiums increased by 5.2% per employee and influenced the growth of average monthly gross wages and salaries by 0.1 percentage points.
Real wages, which take into account the influence of the change in the consumer price index, increased faster than the average monthly gross wages and salaries (7.5%) in the 3rd quarter of 2015 compared to the 3rd quarter of 2014 due to the continued decrease in consumer prices. Compared to the same quarter of the previous year, real wages increased for the seventeenth quarter in succession.
The average monthly gross wages and salaries increased in almost all economic activities, except in administrative and support service activities (decrease of 0.3%). The largest increase occurred in accommodation and food service activities (16.8%), also in arts, entertainment and recreation (12.1%) and in real estate activities (10.9%).
The average monthly gross wages and salaries were 1,051 euros in July, 1,023 euros in August and 1,063 euros in September.
The remuneration paid to employees i.e. the average monthly net wages and salaries were 842 euros in the 3rd quarter of 2015; compared to the same period of the previous year, they increased faster (growth 8.4%) than the average monthly gross wages and salaries. The growth of average monthly net wages is affected by the changes in the tax rates at the beginning of the year.
In the 3rd quarter of 2015, the average hourly gross wages and salaries were 6.28 euros and they increased by 6.6% compared to the 3rd quarter of 2014. The average hourly gross wages and salaries increased in all economic activities, but the largest increase occurred in real estate activities (14.9%) and in accommodation and food service activities (14.6%).
According to the Wages and Salaries Statistics Survey, the number of employees decreased by 2.4% compared to the 3rd quarter of 2014. The number of employees increased in five economic activities, but the largest increase occurred in activities with wages and salaries higher than the average monthly gross wages and salaries – in information and communication (11%) and in financial and insurance activities (10%).
In the 3rd quarter of 2015, the average monthly labour costs per employee were 1,408 euros and the hourly labour costs were 9.97 euros, which have increased 6.7% and 6.8%, respectively, compared to the 3rd quarter of 2014. The largest increase in monthly labour costs occurred in the accommodation and food service activities and in hourly labour costs in real estate activities (16.1% and 16.3%, respectively).| Year | Quarter | Average monthly gross wages and salaries, euros | Change compared to the same quarter of the previous year, % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | I | 1010 | 4.5 |
| II | 1082 | 5.8 | |
| III | 1045 | 6.9 | |
| 2014 | I | 966 | 7.3 |
| II | 1023 | 4.8 | |
| III | 977 | 5.0 | |
| IV | 1039 | 5.3 | |
| 2013 | I | 900 | 6.3 |
| II | 976 | 8.5 | |
| III | 930 | 8.8 | |
| IV | 986 | 7.6 |
Statistics Estonia conducts the Wages and Salaries Statistics Survey on the basis of an international methodology since 1992. In 2015, the sample includes 12,074 enterprises, institutions and organisations. The average monthly gross wages and salaries have been given in full time units to enable a comparison of different wages and salaries, irrespective of the length of working time. Calculations of the monthly gross wages and salaries are based on payments for actually worked time and remuneration for time not worked. The hourly gross wages and salaries do not include remuneration for time not worked (holiday leave pay, benefits, etc.). In short-term statistics, the average gross wages and salaries are measured as a component of labour costs. Labour costs include gross wages and salaries, employer’s contributions and employer’s imputed social contributions to employees.