The Labour Cost Index (LCI) working days adjusted decreased by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter of 2017, compared with the same period in 2016. In the previous quarter, it was recorded a year-on-year increase of 3.1%.
The two main labour cost components - wage costs and other costs (both per hour actually worked) - decreased by 1.2% and 0.6%, respectively, compared do the same period of the previous year.
The LCI year-on-year rate of change was also explained by increases of 1.1% in the average cost per employee and 2.2% in the number of hours actually worked per employee. The increase of the two components was common to all activities. However, the increase in the number of hours actually worked per employee in Public Administration, services and construction, as for the whole economy, was larger than those in the average labour cost per employee, explaining the LCI decrease.