Press Release: Quarterly Labour Cost Survey (QLCS). Fourth Quarter 2025.

Main results

The labour cost of companies increased to 3.8% in the fourth quarter compared to the same period of the previous year and stood at 3,382.48 euros per worker per month. The wage cost increased by 3.6%.
With calendar-adjusted and deseasonalised results, the labour cost per worker increased by 3.6% annually and 1.0% quarterly.
The number of vacancies was 155,737 this quarter.

More information

Annex of tables (includes information from the Autonomous Communities)
Detailed results

The labour cost increased by 3.8% in the fourth quarter compared to the same period of 2024, to 3,382.48% euros per worker per month. The wage cost increased by 3.6% to 2,531.04 euros, and other costs by 4.4%. Mandatory Social Security contributions, the main component of other costs, increased by 4.5%.

Total labour cost

Annual variation rate. Percentage

Monthly labour cost per employee. Fourth quarter 2025

¹Compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

Hourly labour cost. Fourth quarter 2025

¹Compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

Series adjusted for seasonal and calendar effects

The labour cost per worker, excluding seasonal and calendar effects, increased by 3.6% this quarter respect to the same period of the previous year, and 1.0% compared to the previous quarter.

Labour cost per worker

Adjusted for seasonal and calendar effects. Percentage

{
  "mode": "chart",
  "type": "lineasprensa",
  "width": "170mm",
  "height": "90mm",
  "legend": true,
  "valueAxis": false,
  "tags": true,
  "series": [
    { "label": "Quarterly variation rate" },
    { "label": "Annual variation rate" }
  ],
  "ticks": [
    "2022 I",
    "2022 II",
    "2022 III",
    "2022 IV",
    "2023 I",
    "2023 II",
    "2023 III",
    "2023 IV",
    "2024 I",
    "2024 II",
    "2024 III",
    "2024 IV",
    "2025 I",
    "2025 II",
    "2025 III",
    "2025 IV"
  ],
  "values": [
    [
      "1.0",
      "0.9",
      "1.3",
      "1.1",
      "2.2",
      "1.0",
      "0.8",
      "1.2",
      "0.9",
      "1.1",
      "1.1",
      "0.4",
      "1.0",
      "0.8",
      "0.9",
      "1.0"
    ],
    [
      "4.4",
      "3.9",
      "4.4",
      "4.3",
      "5.7",
      "5.7",
      "5.2",
      "5.3",
      "3.9",
      "4.0",
      "4.3",
      "3.5",
      "3.6",
      "3.3",
      "3.1",
      "3.6"
    ]
  ],
  "ratioMargen": 0.15,
  "angleTick": "-90",
  "angleTag": "0",
  "fillToZero": true,
  "colors": [
    "#457E76",
    "#A45C0A",
    "#0071AD",
    "#756F0F",
    "#C33C9D",
    "#677746"
  ]
}

Labour cost by activity sector

By sections of activity, the labour cost is highest in Education and in Transportation and storage. In contrast, the labour cost decreases in Arts, entertainment and recreation activities and Mining and quarrying.

Monthly labour cost per employee. Fourth quarter 2025

{
 "mode": "table",
 "category": [
 "Euros",
 "Annual variation rate",
 "P. Education",
 "H. Transport and storage",
 "M. Professional, scientific ...",
 "J. Information and communications",
 "L. Real state activities",
 "S. Other services",
 "F. Construction",
 "Total activities",
 "G. Wholesale and retail ...",
 "N. Administrative and support ...",
 "E. Water supply, waste management ...",
 "C. Manufacturing industries",
 "I. Accommodation",
 "K. Financial and insurance ...",
 "D. Electricity, gas, steam ...",
 "O. Public Administration ...",
 "Q. Health and social services ...",
 "B. Mining and quarrying ...",
 "R. Arts, entertainment and ..."
 ],
 "ids": [
 "table_1_Euros",
 "table_1_Annual_variation_rate",
 "table_1_P__Education",
 "table_1_H__Transport_and_storage",
 "table_1_M__Professional_scientific",
 "table_1_J__Information_and_communications",
 "table_1_L__Real_state_activities",
 "table_1_S__Other_services",
 "table_1_F__Construction",
 "table_1_Total_activities",
 "table_1_G__Wholesale_and_retail",
 "table_1_N__Administrative_and_support",
 "table_1_E__Water_supply_waste_management",
 "table_1_C__Manufacturing_industries",
 "table_1_I__Accommodation",
 "table_1_K__Financial_and_insurance",
 "table_1_D__Electricity_gas_steam",
 "table_1_O__Public_Administration",
 "table_1_Q__Health_and_social_services",
 "table_1_B__Mining_and_quarrying",
 "table_1_R__Arts_entertainment_and"
 ],
 "col": [
 [
 "0"
 ],
 [
 "1"
 ]
 ],
 "row": [
 [
 "2"
 ],
 [
 "3"
 ],
 [
 "4"
 ],
 [
 "5"
 ],
 [
 "6"
 ],
 [
 "7"
 ],
 [
 "8"
 ],
 [
 "9"
 ],
 [
 "10"
 ],
 [
 "11"
 ],
 [
 "12"
 ],
 [
 "13"
 ],
 [
 "14"
 ],
 [
 "15"
 ],
 [
 "16"
 ],
 [
 "17"
 ],
 [
 "18"
 ],
 [
 "19"
 ],
 [
 "20"
 ]
 ],
 "data": [
 "3,345.09",
 "7.8",
 "3,633.98",
 "6.2",
 "4,357.91",
 "6.1",
 "5,039.65",
 "5.9",
 "3,428.25",
 "5.7",
 "2,463.35",
 "5.3",
 "3,374.72",
 "4.1",
 "3,382.48",
 "3.8",
 "2,970.50",
 "3.7",
 "2,327.64",
 "3.5",
 "3,634.69",
 "3.3",
 "3,848.01",
 "2.9",
 "2,015.64",
 "2.5",
 "5,964.33",
 "2.4",
 "6,511.96",
 "2.0",
 "4,255.76",
 "1.5",
 "3,445.14",
 "1.4",
 "4,875.39",
 "-0.4",
 "2,214.39",
 "-5.9"
 ],
 "textLad": [
 ""
 ],
 "title": "",
 "leftSideCols": 1,
 "rowsHeader": 1
}

Labour cost by Autonomous Community

La Rioja, Comunidad de Madrid y Andalucía sowed the highest increases in labour cost this quarter.

On the other hand, labour cost decreased in Principado de Asturias.

Job Vacancies

The number of vacancies were 155,737 in the fourth quarter, 7,719 less than in the same quarter of the previous year.

Total Vacancies

{
  "mode": "chart",
  "type": "barrasprensa",
  "width": "170mm",
  "height": "80mm",
  "legend": false,
  "valueAxis": false,
  "tags": true,
  "series": [
    { "label": "Total Vacancies" }
  ],
  "ticks": [
    "2022 I",
    "2022 II",
    "2022 III",
    "2022 IV",
    "2023 I",
    "2023 II",
    "2023 III",
    "2023 IV",
    "2024 I",
    "2024 II",
    "2024 III",
    "2024 IV",
    "2025 I",
    "2025 II",
    "2025 III",
    "2025 IV"
  ],
  "values": [
    [
      "133988",
      "145053",
      "143876",
      "140517",
      "149645",
      "148091",
      "155797",
      "139314",
      "149962",
      "151379",
      "150541",
      "148018",
      "152885",
      "149739",
      "152677",
      "155737"
    ]
  ],
  "ratioMargen": 1.6,
  "angleTick": "-90",
  "angleTag": "0",
  "fillToZero": true,
  "colors": [
    "#457E76",
    "#A45C0A",
    "#0071AD",
    "#756F0F",
    "#C33C9D",
    "#677746"
  ],
  "config": {
    "marcaTick": {
      "color": "#9e1834",
      "value": "2025 IV"
    }
  }
}

86.3% of vacancies were found in the Services sector this quarter.

Vacancies by sector. Fourth quarter 2025

{
  "mode": "table",
  "category": [
    "Total vacancies",
    "Percentage",
    "Reasons why vacancies do not exist (percent distribution)",
    "Total",
    "No more workers needed",
    "High hiring cost",
    "Other",
    "TOTAL",
    "Industry",
    "Construction",
    "Services"
  ],
  "ids": [
    "table_1_Total_vacancies",
    "table_1_Percentage",
    "table_1_Reasons_why_vacancies_do_not_exist_percent_distribution",
    "",
    "",
    "",
    "",
    "",
    "table_1_Total",
    "table_1_No_more_workers_needed",
    "table_1_High_hiring_cost",
    "table_1_Other",
    "table_1_TOTAL",
    "table_1_Industry",
    "table_1_Construction",
    "table_1_Services"
  ],
  "col": [
    [
      "0",
      ""
    ],
    [
      "1",
      ""
    ],
    [
      "2",
      "3"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "4"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "5"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "6"
    ]
  ],
  "row": [
    [
      "7"
    ],
    [
      "8"
    ],
    [
      "9"
    ],
    [
      "10"
    ]
  ],
  "data": [
    "155,737",
    "100.0",
    "100.0",
    "91.0",
    "5.3",
    "3.7",
    "13,868",
    "8.9",
    "100.0",
    "90.8",
    "4.5",
    "4.8",
    "7,407",
    "4.8",
    "100.0",
    "88.5",
    "4.8",
    "6.7",
    "134,461",
    "86.3",
    "100.0",
    "91.3",
    "5.4",
    "3.3"
  ],
  "textLad": [
    "",
    ""
  ],
  "title": "",
  "leftSideCols": 1,
  "rowsHeader": 2
}

The Autonomous Communities with the greatest number of vacancies were Comunidad de Madrid , Cataluña and Andalucía. In turn, those recording the lowest number were Cantabria, La Rioja and Principado de Asturias.

Revision and updating of data

The data published today are final. All results are available on INEbase.

Methodological note

The Quarterly Labour Cost Survey (ETCL) primarily aims to understand the evolution of the average labour cost per worker per month, the average labour cost per effective working hour, and time worked and not worked.

Furthermore, it is the primary source of information for the development of the Harmonised Labour Cost Index, which is part of the euro-indicators of the Statistical Office of the European Union (EUROSTAT).

Type of operation:: quarterly continuous survey.
Base year:: 2020.
Population scope:: Social Security contribution accounts. General Scheme: Sections B to S of CNAE-09 and Special Scheme for Seafarers: Sea Transport (Division 50 of CNAE-09).
Geographical scope:: the entire national territory.
Reference period of the results:: the calendar quarter.
Reference period of the information:: the calendar month.
Sample size:: 28,500 establishments, divided into three monthly sub-samples of 9,500 establishments each.
Sampling type:: stratified random with optimal allocation. Comprehensive survey for workplaces with more than 500 employees.
Collection method:: questionnaire filled in directly by the establishment.

More information on the methodology and the standardised methodological report.

INE statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Good Practice for European Statistics. More information on Quality at INE and Code of Best Practices.