Job losses at a standstill

There were 13 thousand fewer jobs (0.2 percent) in the third quarter of 2005 than

twelve months previously. This is the tenth quarter in succession that the number of jobs is smaller than twelve months previously. After correction for seasonal effects, the number of jobs was even fractionally higher in the third quarter than in the second quarter of this year.

The wage costs per year worked were 2.4 percent higher in the second quarter of this year than in the same quarter of 2004. The increase is due to a steep increase in pension premiums. There is not much difference in the wage costs increases between the branches of industry. Banks and insurance companies had the lowest wage cost increase with 1.8 percent, the manufacturing industry had the highest with 3.4 percent.

Growth rate jobs and economic growth