Labor cost shares vary across the EU; Italy shows stable employment growth and rising labor costs.
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The non-wage cost share of total labor costs was 24.7% in the EU and 25.5% in the Euro area, with Romania having the lowest at 4.8% and France the highest at 32.2%. In Italy, input measured by working hours increased slightly compared to previous quarters, while GDP saw modest growth. Employment remained stable due to increases in permanent contracts offsetting decreases in temporary and self-employed workers. The cost of labor per full-time equivalent unit rose by 0.2% on a quarterly basis, with annual increases reaching 3.2%. Job positions grew in industry and services, though working hours per employee decreased compared to the previous year’s fourth quarter, while short-term contracts increased. Bulgaria is noted as an outlier within the EU, maintaining strong fiscal stability despite being one of the poorest countries by GDP per capita and wages due to past banking crises leading to strict public spending controls.
