About 60% of companies recorded a rise in average wages while 27% saw falls. The remaining 13% reported no change.

After discounting the rise in consumer prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index (A), the overall average wage rate for all major sectors surveyed fell 0.1% in real terms.

The index of payroll per person engaged for all major sectors rose 3.1% in nominal terms in the first quarter over a year earlier.

After netting out the effect of the rise in consumer prices as measured by the Composite Consumer Price Index, the average payroll per person engaged fell 1.5% in real terms.

For the nominal wage indices, year-on-year increases were observed in all selected major sectors in March, ranging from 0.7% to 4.5%. For the real wage indices there were year-on-year increases of 0.2% and 0.5% in the wholesale, retail and import-export trades, restaurants and hotels sector and the transport services sector.

Falls ranging from 0.1% to 3.1% were seen in the manufacturing sector, the financing, insurance, real estate (except agencies) and business services sector, and the personal services sector.

As for the nominal indices of payroll per person engaged, year-on-year increases ranging from 1% to 8.9% were recorded in all major sectors in the first quarter.

For the real payroll indices year-on-year falls were seen in almost all major sectors, ranging from 1.6% to 3.5%. The only rise was found in the financing, insurance, real estate and business services sector at 4%.