Bulgaria is among member states of the European Union (EU) with the largest increase in hourly wage costs. For the first quarter of the year, they increased by 13% compared to the same period last year, according to data published by the European Statistical Office.
In the period from January to March this year, hourly labor costs increased by 3.4% in the euro area and by 4.1% in the EU compared to the same quarter of the previous year. The two main components of labor costs are wages and salaries and non-wage-related costs.
In the euro area, for the first quarter of 2025, hourly wages and salaries and non-wage-related costs increased by 3.4% each compared to the same quarter of the previous year. In the euro area, hourly wages and salaries increased by 4.2%.
The largest increases in the euro area and for the EU were observed in the industry, construction and services sectors.
The most significant increase in hourly wage costs for the entire European economy was recorded in Romania (16.1%), followed by Croatia (13.5%), Bulgaria (13%) and Slovenia (11.9%). At the bottom of the ranking are Malta (1.6%) and France (1.9%).