About 58% of companies recorded a rise in average wages, 17 percentage points higher than the September figure. Falls were seen in 37% of the firms - down from 52% in September, while the remaining 5% reported no change.

After discounting the changes in consumer prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index (A), the overall average wage rate for all the selected industry sectors surveyed fell 0.8% in real terms.

The index of payroll per person engaged for all these sectors rose 0.9% in nominal terms in the fourth quarter of 2009 over a year earlier.

After discounting the changes in consumer prices as measured by the Composite Consumer Price Index, the average payroll per person engaged fell 0.4% in real terms in the fourth quarter.

For the nominal wage indices, year-on-year increases were observed in the import/export, wholesale and retail trades; transportation; financial and insurance activities; real estate leasing and maintenance management; and professional and business services sectors, ranging from 0.7% to 2.2% in December.

Year-on-year decreases of 0.1% to 2.9% were recorded in the manufacturing; accommodation and food service activities; and personal services sectors.

For the real wage indices, year-on-year increases of 0.5% and 0.6% were seen in the financial and insurance activities; and professional and business services sectors. Drops of 0.4% to 4.4% were found in the manufacturing; import/export, wholesale and retail trades; accommodation and food service activities; real estate leasing and maintenance management; and personal services sectors. The real wage index for the transportation sector remained virtually unchanged.

As for the nominal indices of payroll per person engaged, year-on-year rises were recorded in the manufacturing; transportation, storage, postal and courier services; accommodation and food service activities; information and communications; real estate activities; and professional and business services sectors in the fourth quarter, ranging from 0.2% to 2.7%.

The sewerage, waste management and remediation activities; import/export and wholesale trades; retail trade; financial and insurance activities; and social and personal services sections recorded a fall in nominal payroll of 0.3% to 5.4% over a year earlier.

For the real payroll indices, year-on-year rises of 1.2% and 1.3% were recorded in the real estate activities and professional and business services sections in the fourth quarter.

Falls ranging from 1% to 6.6% were recorded in the manufacturing; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities; import/export and wholesale trades; retail trade; transportation, storage, postal and courier services; accommodation and food service activities; financial and insurance activities; and social and personal services sectors. The information and communications section had virtually no annual change.