Pay developments – 2009

EIRO’s annual analysis of pay trends finds that the average collectively agreed nominal wage increase across the EU fell from 5% in 2008 to 4.2% in 2009. In the former EU15, the average nominal increase declined from 3.8% in 2008 to 3.1% in 2009, while in the 12 new Member States that joined the EU since 2004 (NMS12), the average dropped from 7.1% in 2008 to 5.9% in 2009. By contrast, taking into account inflation (which fell steeply in 2009), the rate of real increase across the EU rose sharply, from 0.5% in 2008 to 2.9% in 2009. In the EU15, the real increase rose from 0.4% in 2008 to 2.4% in 2009. In the NMS, the real increase rose from 0.8% in 2008 to 3.9% in 2009. The report also examines collectively agreed pay increases in three selected sectors (chemicals, retail and the civil service), increases in minimum wages (as well as current rates), increases in average earnings, and the gender pay gap.