Wage and salary earners’ earnings rose by 2.5 percent

According to Statistics Finland’s preliminary data, the nominal earnings of wage and salary earners rose by 2.5 per cent on average in January to March 2019 when compared to the respective period in 2018. Real earnings rose by 1.3 per cent on average compared to the first quarter of the previous year, because the rise in earnings level was faster than that in consumer prices.

Index of wage and salary earnings and real earnings 2000/1 to 2019/1, annual change percentage

Non-recurring item paid in January visible in earnings development of state and municipal sectors

According to Statistics Finland’s preliminary data, the nominal earnings of wage and salary earners rose from January–March 2018 to the corresponding period in 2019 by 2.2 per cent in the private sector, by 2.6 per cent in the central government sector and by 3.6 per cent in the local government sector.

The figure examines the development of the index of wage and salary earnings (ATI) in 2010 to 2019. The examination ends in the last published quarter, that is, the first quarter of 2019.The earnings development made and upturn in both the state and municipal sectors at the beginning of 2019. This is affected by the non-recurring item paid in the public sector in January based on profitability that amounted to 9.2 per cent of the monthly pay of those entitled to the non-recurring item. Furthermore, the 2019 earnings development of the municipal sector was affected by local sectoral allowances that were also paid in January in the municipal sector.

Development of the index of wage and salary earnings 2010=100 by employer sector

The earnings development of the state and municipal sectors decreases at the beginning of 2017. The drop is explained by the cut in public sector holiday bonuses agreed on in the Competitiveness Pact. The previous non-recurring item, before the one paid in 2019, was paid in the public sector in 2012 and it is visible as a rise in the earnings development of the state and municipal sectors at the beginning of 2012.

Wage and salary earners’ regular earnings increased by 2.3 per cent in January to March

The index for regular earnings describes the permanent change in earnings better than the index of wage and salary earnings because it does not take into account performance-based bonuses and non-recurring items included in collective agreements. According to Statistics Finland’s preliminary data, regular earnings rose by 2.3 per cent in January to March 2019 when compared with the respective period in 2018. The growth amounted to 2.2 per cent in the private sector, to 1.8 per cent in the central government sector, and to 2.8 per cent in the local government sector.

Index of wage and salary earnings and index of regular earnings are final as far as the year 2017

The indices are final as far as the year 2017 and they are based on final wage statistics. The indices for 2018 are still preliminary. They are based on the effects of agreements and the wage drift. In addition, the data on performance-based bonuses of the Labour Cost Index are used to assess performance-based bonuses in the calculation of the preliminary indices of the index of wage and salary earnings.

Source: Index of wage and salary earnings 2019, 1st quarter. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Anu Uuttu 029 551 2322, Harri Nummila 029 551 3235, palkat.indeksit@stat.fi

Director in charge: Mari Yl�-Jarkko

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Revisions in these statistics

Revisions in these statistics (29.5.2019)

Updated 29.5.2019

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Index of wage and salary earnings [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7814. 1st quarter 2019. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 28.12.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/ati/2019/01/ati_2019_01_2019-05-29_tie_001_en.html