The Labour Cost Index (LCI) working days adjusted increased by 2.6% in the 1st quarter of 2017, compared with the same period in 2016. In the previous quarter, it was recorded a year-on-year increase of 0.6%.
The two main labour cost components are wage costs and other costs (per hour actually worked). The wage costs increased by 3.0% and other costs raised by 1.4%.
From other perspective, the LCI year-on-year rate of change was also a result of an increase of 0.2% in the average cost per employee and a decrease of 2.2% in the number of hours actually worked per employee. The decrease of the latter was common to all economic activities, while the increase of the former took place in all activities, with the exception of the Public Administration, where a decrease was recorded.