In the collective sector the growth was entirely in the care and welfare sector. Employment in education remained fairly stable, in public administration it was steadily reduced.
More jobs than one year previously: Compared with one year ago, there were 11 thousand more jobs in the fourth quarter of 2005. This is the first time since the first quarter of 2003 that there were also more jobs in the year-on year comparisons. In this case, too, the growth was in jobs in commercial services and care, with 49 and 25 thousand jobs respectively. Most jobs were lost in the manufacturing industry and public administration: 20 thousand and 11 thousand respectively. 32 thousand more women had a job, and only 21 thousand more men. The decrease in the number of working men is levelling out, however.
Wage costs rise by 2.3 percent: Wage costs per labour-year were 2.3 percent higher in the fourth quarter than in the same quarter of 2004. The annual figure for 2005 is also 2.3 percent higher than for 2004. This is the smallest increase in wage costs since 1997.
The increase in the fourth quarter is larger than the collectively agreed wage increase (1.0 percent). The difference is caused by incidental wage increases and higher employer-paid premiums.
Notably, the increase in collectively agreed wages was slightly larger than its lowest point of 0.5 percent in the second quarter of 2005. The wage costs increase in the fourth quarter of 2005 doesnot differ strongly between sectors of industry. It was highest in the manufacturing industry, at 3.0 percent and lowest in education at only 1.7 percent.
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