TALLINN, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Estonia's average wages and salaries rose 1.2 percent to 12,869 kroons ($1,045) in the second quarter of 2010 compared to a year earlier to show the first on year rise since the fourth quarter of 2008, data showed on Monday.
Estonia's economy fell into a deep recession in 2008 and both the private and public sectors cut wages and sent employees on unpaid leave to cut costs and to keep the public sector budget deficit under control as unemployment rose to record levels.
'Compared to the 2nd quarter of 2009, the average monthly gross wages and salaries increased the most in mining and quarrying (+19.4 pct) and decreased the most in real estate activities (-17.5 pct),' the state statistics office said in a statement.
It added that wage increase for miners was caused by the significant increase of bonus payments to employees in the second quarter of 2010 compared to the same period of the previous year.
In the second quarter of 2010, an employer's average monthly labour costs per employee were 17,341 kroons and the average hourly labour costs were 117.26 kroons.
Compared to the second quarter of 2009, the average monthly labour costs per employee increased 0.8 percent and the average hourly labour costs decreased 2.7 percent.
Estonia will join the euro zone from Jan. 1 2011 and will be its poorest member.
(Reporting by David Mardiste; editing by Kazunori Takada) ($1=12.304 Estonian Kroon) Keywords: ESTONIA SALARIES/ (Tallinn Newsroom, +372 5290992, david.mardiste@thomsonreuters.com, Reuters Messaging: david.mardiste.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Estonia's economy fell into a deep recession in 2008 and both the private and public sectors cut wages and sent employees on unpaid leave to cut costs and to keep the public sector budget deficit under control as unemployment rose to record levels.
'Compared to the 2nd quarter of 2009, the average monthly gross wages and salaries increased the most in mining and quarrying (+19.4 pct) and decreased the most in real estate activities (-17.5 pct),' the state statistics office said in a statement.
It added that wage increase for miners was caused by the significant increase of bonus payments to employees in the second quarter of 2010 compared to the same period of the previous year.
In the second quarter of 2010, an employer's average monthly labour costs per employee were 17,341 kroons and the average hourly labour costs were 117.26 kroons.
Compared to the second quarter of 2009, the average monthly labour costs per employee increased 0.8 percent and the average hourly labour costs decreased 2.7 percent.
Estonia will join the euro zone from Jan. 1 2011 and will be its poorest member.
(Reporting by David Mardiste; editing by Kazunori Takada) ($1=12.304 Estonian Kroon) Keywords: ESTONIA SALARIES/ (Tallinn Newsroom, +372 5290992, david.mardiste@thomsonreuters.com, Reuters Messaging: david.mardiste.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
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