The ECB signals in its economic bulletin that wages in the Euro-area are on the rise. Collective wages rose 2.2% in the 2nd quarter of 2018, the highest increase since 2012. The bulletin provides economic charts with data that point to a continued upward shift from a trough in the 2nd quarter of 2016. Growth in compensation per employee increased from 1.8% in the 4th quarter of 2017 to 2.0% in the 1st quarter of 2018, confirming the recent upward trend. Growth in negotiated wages increased from 1.5% in the 4th quarter of 2017 to 1.8% in the 1st quarter of 2018. Recent wage agreements and the broadening of wage growth across sectors support the expectation of a further pick-up in wage growth. The developed wage growth follows the direction of improving labour market conditions.
Read on: in English … The ECB-Bulletin: in English …
For more information, please contact the editor Jan Cremers or Sanne van der Gaag, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies (AIAS) cbn-aias@uva.nl or the Head of communications at the ETUI, Willy De Backer wdebacker@etui.org © ETUI