19/3/2012 00:00:00
According to Eurostat estimates, in the last quarter of 2011, workers in Europe decreased by 0,2%.
In Italy, employment decreased by 0,1% compared to the previous quarter, when it decreased by 0,3%.
According to Eurostat estimates, in the fourth quarter of 2011 a total of 223 million men and women were employed in the EU-27, of which 146,4 million in the euro area.
Hourly labor costs increased in the euro area by 2,8% on an annual basis in the fourth quarter of 2011 compared to +2,6% in the previous quarter. This was announced today by Eurostat. At the same time, hourly labor costs in the EU-27 increased by 2,7% compared to an increase of 2,6% in the third quarter.
In Italy, hourly labor costs increased by 2,3% in the fourth quarter of last year. Over the entire year, this item recorded increases of 2,8% in the EU-17 and 2,7% in the EU-27 compared to increases of 1,5% and 1,7% in 2010.
Among Member States, the largest increases in the fourth quarter were recorded in Bulgaria (+12,6%), Romania (+8,6%), Estonia (+7,2%) and Hungary (+6,6%) . In three countries hourly labor costs decreased: in Ireland and Portugal by 1,7% and in Slovenia by 0,3%.
