[DK] Total Labour Costs

Full name of the series in original language

Arbejdsomkostninger for den Private Sektor

Abstract

The purpose of the statistics of total labour costs in the private sector is to monitor trends in total labour costs broken down by industry, occupation and main components.

The statistics on total labour costs are part of Statistics Denmark's integrated statistical system concerning wage and labour costs. In addition to total labour costs the system comprises:

- Annual structure of earning monitoring in detail earnings broken down by occupation, education, age, industry, etc.
- Quarterly indices of earnings monitoring trends in industries and sectors.

Regular labour cost surveys have been conducted since 1978. Until 1995 surveys were typically conducted quadrennial. Since 1995 they have been conducted annually. The reference year of the latest published statistics is 2011.

Total labour costs are compiled on the basis of the labour cost survey, which comprises two sub-surveys, the annual structure of earnings survey and the survey of other labour costs for the private sector.

The statistics cover all employees in the private sector, including apprentices and young people under the age of 18. However, employees in business enterprises within agriculture and fisheries are excluded, which is also the case for employees in business enterprises with less than 10 full-time employees.

Total labour costs include employees' earnings with the addition of other labour costs. Earnings consist of total income in connection with the job, whereas other labour costs are costs that cannot be characterized as employees' earnings, such as contributions to public funds, education costs and voluntary staff costs.

Data on earnings are obtained from the annual structure of earnings survey for the private sector, which is based on a full-scale survey comprising business enterprises with more than 10 full-time employees, while other labour costs are based on a special sample survey.

The statistical unit is the individual job, which is defined as a person employed with a specific employer and engaged in a specific occupation.

The main concept is total labour costs related to the number of hours worked. Total labour costs include total earnings and other labour costs, total, both items are related to the number of hours worked. Hours of work are understood to mean the number of hours actually performed. Hours of absenteeism due to sickness and holidays are excluded. The data on hours of work are obtained from the structure of earnings.

In other words, total labour costs are all costs of a business enterprise that are involved in employing one person, for each hour the person is on his/her job.

Earnings comprise each employee's total earnings in connection with his/her job, including employees' or employers' share of any pension contributions and other income in the form of fringe benefits to the extent that these are liable to tax.

Other labour costs are costs that are not considered to be an income for an employee. Other labour costs are broken down by the following items: contributions to public funds, other compulsory costs, contributions according to agreement, education costs and other staff costs.

Geographic coverage

Denmark

Notes

Source and more information at: http://www.dst.dk/declarations/863

Time period

1978 => 2011

Types of available microdata

Consistency type

Access mode

Update date

15/09/2021