Labour costs, 2004

Labour costs are the total costs of having an employee, and varies among sections. In Manufacturing the average labour cost for full-time equivalent employees were NOK 446 000, an increase by 26.5 per cent from year 2000. Corresponding figures from Financial intermediation were NOK 630 000, an increase by 34.2 per cent, and in Hotels and restaurants NOK 332 000, an increase by 21.1 per cent for full-time equivalent employees since year 2000.

Mostly wages

Included in direct costs are wages and salaries, holiday pay and other costs for days not worked.

In manufacturing the direct costs were 79.4 per cent of the total labour costs, in construction 80.4 per cent of the total, and in wholesale and retail trade the direct costs were 80.7 per cent of the total labour costs. In hotels and restaurants the direct costs were 84.2 per cent and in oil and gas extraction and mining the direct costs were 71.5 per cent.

Indirect costs include salaries in kind, costs for safety and health, social contributions, taxes and training costs.In manufacturing the indirect costs were NOK 92 000. For hotels and restaurants and oil and gas extraction and mining, had indirect costs of NOK 52 000 and NOK 231 000 respectively.

About the statistical basis

The statistics are based on information from a sample of 3 447 enterprises in private sector with 10 or more employees that all together had 478 000 full-time equivalent employees. According to Statistics Norway's Central Register of Establishments and Enterprises, there were all together 22 700 active enterprises with more than 10 employees. In total these enterprises had 1 076 000 employees.

For more information, see About the statistics .

Also other European countries will publish statistics from labour cost surveys 2004 in 2006.

Tables:

• Table 1 Average labour costs per full-time equivalent employee, by group. 2004. NOK