site.btaLabour Costs per Hour Rise by 13.2% in Q2 2025

Total hourly labour costs incurred by employers in Bulgaria increased by 13.2% in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, according to preliminary data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI) published on Tuesday.

In the industrial sector, the increase was 14%, in services 11.9%, and in construction a notable 16.2%.

The highest growth in overall labour costs was recorded in the following economic sectors:

• Administrative and support service activities – up by 18.1%
• Arts, entertainment and recreation – up by 17.7%
• Mining and quarrying – up by 17.2%

Wage costs per hour worked rose by 13.4%, while non-wage costs (such as social contributions) increased by 12.3%.

Across different sectors, changes in wage costs compared to the same quarter of the previous year ranged from an increase of 18.8% in arts, entertainment and recreation, to a more modest 7% in the hospitality and food service sector, the NSI reported.

Back in the first quarter of 2025, total hourly labour costs rose by 12.4% year on year.