EU statistics show that labour costs most in Denmark

Wages and salaries make up most of the cost for employers

TheCopenhagenPost

Mar 31, 2015

Coming on the tail of the recent debate about the Danish labour market and defence of the so-called Danish model (not Helena Christensen, as Ryanair head David O’Brien quipped), new figures from the European Commission’s statistics office Eurostat have confirmed what many Danish business owners have long suspected: labour costs in Denmark are the highest in the EU.

High wages, low contributions
In 2014 the average hourly labour cost in Denmark was 40.3 euros, whereas the EU average was 24.6 euros and the lowest costs could be found in Bulgaria where an average hour’s labour costs just 3.8 euros.

The labour costs comprise wages and salaries and other costs, such as employers’ social contributions. There was also great disparity between the EU member states as to the extent of the non-wage costs.

The average across the EU was for the non-wage costs to make up 24.4 percent of the total labour cost. In Denmark this proportion was the second lowest at 13.1 percent.

The hourly labour cost across the EU rose by 1.4 percent from 2013. Denmark had the smallest rise, with an increase of just 0.9 percent.

Condoms are “boring” and “difficult”, so Danish youth choose to have sex without them

A new study by the World Health Organization WHO shows an “alarming decline” in the use of condoms by European teenagers. This also applies in Denmark.
Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

Chisom Udeze, the founder of Diversify – a global organization that works at the intersection of inclusion, democracy, freedom, climate sustainability, justice, and belonging – shares how struggling to find a community in Norway motivated her to build a Nordic-wide professional network. We also hear from Dr. Poornima Luthra, Associate Professor at CBS, about how to address bias in the workplace.
New Lolland rewilding project is “win all round” says farmland owner

A protected nature area will be established in South Lolland, equivalent to around 60 football pitches, near the vast new Femern Belt Link tunnel project. The park will be a rewilding project on agricultural land – a form of land transition that the Danish government has recently begun incentivising as part of its progressive new green tax agreement.
How to easily get your child into a snowsuit – without blood, sweat and tears

As we find ourselves in early September, it may still be hard to imagine colder days ahead. But in the Nordics, winter is never too far away. So let’s take a step ahead and talk about a Danish winter essential for your little one – the snowsuit.
Intro week is not easy for introverts

Pub-crawls, clubbing and icebreakers planned by extroverted senior students for new first-year students can be fun for extroverts, but too much for introverts who feel pressured to participate.
Indian summer hits Denmark for a while

Although the light already disappears after 8 PM, summer rests upon Denmark. This applies especially in the capital area, where the next few days offer sunshine and 25 degrees

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.

13 Sep: Social Beer Walk – A guided tour of Copenhagen harbour

Career

Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

Chisom Udeze, the founder of Diversify – a global organization that works at the intersection of inclusion, democracy, freedom, climate sustainability, justice, and belonging – shares how struggling to find a community in Norway motivated her to build a Nordic-wide professional network. We also hear from Dr. Poornima Luthra, Associate Professor at CBS, about how to address bias in the workplace.
Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

Lolland Municipality, home to Denmark’s largest infrastructure project – the Fehmarnbelt tunnel connection to Germany – has launched a new jobseeker support package for the accompanying partners of international employees in the area. The job-to-partner package offers free tailored sessions on finding a job and starting a personal business.
This rooftop ‘Scandarabian’ restaurant is helping international jobseekers to upskill for the Danish market

The social enterprise and rooftop restaurant Do More focuses especially on helping long-term unemployed citizens who struggle to enter the Danish labor market due to a lack of experience from their home country, language barriers, and other factors.

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Jobs