June 22 (SeeNews) - Hourly labour costs in Bulgaria increased by 12.7% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2022, the statistical office said on Wednesday, citing preliminary data.
Salary costs rose by the same rate, 12.7%, in the January-March period of the current year, while other labour costs went up by 12.3% on the year, National Statistical Institute (NSI) said in a statement.
Hourly labour costs rose at the highest rate for employers in the industry sector, by 16.0% on the year, followed by services and construction with 14.7% and 10.7%, respectively.
In terms of economic activities, the highest growth rate, of 19.6%, was recorded in the administrative and support services sector, closely followed by hospitality with an increase of 19.5% and finance and insurance with 18.7%.
Bulgaria led in terms of the annual increase in hourly labour costs in the first quarter of 2022 among European Union member states from Southeast Europe (SEE), the bloc's statistical office, Eurostat, said last week.