TIRANA, Nov 12 /ATA/ – Employers in Albania faced significantly higher labour costs in 2024, with average hourly labour costs reaching 559 leks, up 42.9% from 391 leks in 2020, according to a Labour Cost Survey published by the National Institute of Statistics (INSTAT).
The average monthly labour cost per full-time equivalent employee stood at 98,561 leks, while the annual cost to employers amounted to 1,182,734 leks. Compared with 2020, the monthly cost increased by 29,600 leks.
Most of the expenditure was directly related to employee compensation. Wages, salaries, bonuses and allowances accounted for 85.5% of total labour costs, while employers’ social security contributions represented 14.3%. The remaining 0.2% covered vocational training and other employment-related expenses.
Labour costs varied considerably across economic sectors. Financial and insurance activities recorded the highest average hourly cost, at 1,066 leks, followed by information and communication, at 844 leks, and mining and quarrying, at 836 leks.
The lowest costs were recorded in accommodation and food service activities, at 377 leks per hour, and manufacturing, at 398 leks. In construction, a significant sector of the Albanian economy, the average hourly cost stood at 450 leks.
Business size also influenced labour expenditure. Enterprises employing between 10 and 49 people recorded an average hourly cost of 480 leks, compared with 685 leks at businesses with 1,000 or more employees.
The average number of paid employees at non-agricultural enterprises covered by the survey stood at 397,328 in 2024. The vast majority, or 99.49%, worked full-time, while 0.47% were employed part-time and 0.04% were apprentices.
INSTAT conducts the Labour Cost Survey every four years, covering non-agricultural enterprises with at least 10 paid employees. The survey measures employers’ total expenditure on labour, including wages, social security contributions and other employment-related costs.
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