site.btaBulgaria Records EU's Second-highest Annual Increase in Hourly Labour Costs in Q4 of 2025

Bulgaria recorded EU's second-highest annual increases in hourly wage costs in the fourth quarter of 2025, show Eurostat data published here on Thursday. This country marked 13.8% growth, Slovenia had the highest in EU with 19.1% and Croatia was third with a 10.5% rise. 

The hourly labour costs rose by 3.3% in the euro area and by 3.7% in the EU. The two main components of labour costs are wages and salaries and non-wage costs.  The lowest increases were recorded in France (1.1%), Italy (2.3%), Denmark (2.5%), Finland (2.6%), Germany and Cyprus (2.7% each) whereas Malta recorded a decrease of 3.9%.

In the euro area, in the fourth quarter of 2025 compared with the same quarter of the previous year the costs of hourly wages and salaries increased by 3.0% while the non-wage costs increased by 4.4%. In the EU, the costs of hourly wages and salaries increased by 3.4% while the non-wage component increased by 4.5%.

Hourly labour costs in the euro area rose by 3.5% in the (mainly) non-business economy and by 3.2% in the business economy: 2.5% in industry, 4.0% in construction and 3.4% in services. In the EU, hourly labour costs grew by 3.7% in both (mainly) non-business economy and in the business economy:  3.1% in industry, 4.5% in construction and 3.9% in services.

In the EU, the economic activities that recorded the highest increases in hourly wage costs were real estate activities (4.6%) followed by professional, scientific and technical activities (4.5%), education (4.4%), construction and transport and storage (both 4.1%). The lowest annual increase was recorded in electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply (2.7%) followed by manufacturing (2.8%) whereas mining and quarrying recorded a decrease of 1.2%.

In the EU, the economic activities that recorded the highest increases in the non-wage component were construction real estate activities (both 5.8%) followed by transport and storage, professional, scientific and technical activities and other service activities (all 5.4%). The lowest annual increase was recorded in electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply (3.0%) while mining and quarrying remained unchanged.