Work in figures: where in the EU pays the most per hour of labour?
Towfiqu barbhuiya, Unsplash
Eurostat has published its annual data on average hourly labour costs in 2024, and the variation between countries remains impressive: from €10.6 in Bulgaria to €55.2 in Luxembourg. This is not just a wage, but the total cost per working hour to the employer, including taxes, social contributions, bonuses, work clothes and even meals or cars - if provided.
The average was €33.5 for the EU and €37.3 for the euro area, up 5% and 4.5% respectively from 2023. The growth leaders were Croatia (+14.2%), Latvia (+12.1%) and Lithuania (+10.8%). The Czech Republic (+1.3%) and Finland (+1.8%) recorded the most modest increases in the euro area, while Luxembourg recorded only +2.1%, despite having the highest labour costs in absolute terms.
The top three most expensive countries are Luxembourg (55.2 €), Denmark (50.1 €) and Belgium (48.2 €). At the other end of the ranking are Romania (12.5 €) and Hungary (14.1 €). These differences reflect not only the standard of living, but also the tax system, the salary structure and the ratio of direct to indirect costs for employees.
By sector, the differences are also evident. In industry, the average cost per hour was 33.9 euros across the EU, in construction - 30 euros, and in the service sector - 33.3 euros. In the so-called non-business economy (excluding public administration) it was 34.2 euros.
The contribution of indirect costs, such as contributions to social funds, also remains significant. Their share averages 24.7 per cent in the EU and 25.5 per cent in the eurozone. But even here the difference is significant: in Romania - only 4.8%, in Lithuania - 5.4%, but in France - 32.2% and in Sweden - 31.6%.
