The labour cost per hour worked, measured by the HLCI, keeping the structure by branches of activity constant increased by 2.4% in the third quarter compared with the same period in the previous year, if seasonal and calendar effects are eliminated.
In unadjusted data, the annual variation of the cost per hour was 2.1%.
Annual variation rate. Percentage
The cost per hour worked increased by 2.3% at an annual rate in data corrected for seasonality and calendar effects. On the other hand, other costs rose by 2.6%.
Annual indices and variation rates
The activities with the highest annual rates this quarter, if seasonal and calendar effects are eliminated, were Administrative Activities and ancillary services (6.1%), Professional. Scientific and technical activities (5.8%), and Transport and storage (5.7%).
Labour costs recorded declines in Public administration and defence; compulsory Social Security (-1.5%), Healthcard and social services activities (-1.0%) and Financial and insurance activities (-0.2%).
Annual variation rate. Percentage
The variation in the HCLI between the third and second quarter of 2025, eliminating the seasonality and calendar effects, was 0.4%.
Quarterly variation rate. Percentage
The quarterly labour cost rate, deseasonalised and corrected for calendar effects was 0.4%, the same as the total cost rate. On the other hand, other costs rose by 0.3%.
Without factoring in the adjustment for seasonal and calendar effects, the quarterly rate was 3.4% due essentially to the lower number of hours worked during the holiday period in the third quarter as compared with the second.
Quarterly indices and variation rates
INE has today updated the HCLI data for the second quarter of 2025. All results are available on INEBase.
The Harmonised Labour Cost Index (HLCI) is a quarterly continuous statistical operation whose objective is to provide a common and comparable measure of labour cost per hour worked for the whole of the European Union, allowing the monitoring of the evolution of said labour costs.
Indices with base 2020 are provided for total labour costs, wages and salaries and other costs net of subsidies received for the use of labour factor (includes social contributions payable by employers and non-wage payments). The index for total labour cost is also provided excluding extraordinary payments and delayed payments.
For more information, you can access the methodology and the standardised methodological report.
INE statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Good Practice for European Statistics. More information in Quality in the INE and Code of Good Practices.
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