Jobs 60 thousand down in second quarter

In the second quarter of 2005 the number of employee jobs was 60,000 or 0.8 percent down on last year. Proportionally, the decrease in labour years (full-time jobs) was slightly higher, namely 1.0 percent. Compared to one year previously, the total amount of jobs fell for the ninth consecutive quarter, but the decrease is slowing down. The largest decrease was recorded in the first quarter of 2004, when 136 thousand jobs were lost. Since then, the amount of jobs lost was halved.

Annual wage costs were 3.0 percent higher in the first quarter of this year than twelve months previously. The wage costs increase was lowest in education, 2.0 percent, and highest in construction at 4.3 percent. In 2004 wage costs were 3.3 percent higher on average than in 2003.

Growth rate jobs and economic growth