Big differences in labour costs in various industries

The average labour costs per man-year in Norway were highest in financial services, with just over NOK 422,000, and in oil and gas extraction and mining, with NOK 414,000. In comparison, the average labour costs per man-year for all industries was NOK 296,000. Labour costs include direct costs such as wages and salaries and indirect costs including social contributions and training costs.

Very high labour costs per man-year--NOK 599,000--are found in the financial services-related sector which includes bond, share and insurance broking and underwriting. The corresponding figures for oil and gas extraction-associated industries is an average of NOK 564,000 per man-year. In insurance and financial intermediation labour costs were NOK 436,000 and 370,000 per man-year.

In manufacturing, total labour costs were an average of NOK 289,000 per man-year. Costs vary somewhat within the various industrial sectors. Highest are the costs in the chemical industry and oil refining, with just over NOK 373,000 and NOK 359,000 in the pulp and paper, publishing and printing industries. The lowest costs in manufacturing are in the textile industry, with NOK 248,000, the leather and leather goods industry, with NOK 246,000, and in the furniture industry, with NOK 237,000.

The lowest labour costs per man-year are found in the hotel and restaurant industry, with an average of NOK 221,000. Average total labour costs per man-year in the construction industry are NOK 290,000, transport and communications NOK 292,000, wholesale and retail trade NOK 293,000, electricity supply NOK 351,000, and business and real estate NOK 358,000.

New Statistics
Wage statistics. Labour costs, 1996.
The statistics will be compiled every four years and published in the Weekly Bulletin of Statistics. This is the first year. For more information, contact: Thomas.Hagen@ssb.no, tel. +47 62 88 51 72, or Knut-Hakon.Grini@ssb.no, tel. +47 62 88 54 44.

Weekly Bulletin issue no. 45, 1998