Wages and labour costs in Italy

It measures the path of wages and labour costs in Italy: the pay received by workers (gross wages and salaries and, depending on the measure, employers' social contributions). It is compiled by the Italian statistics office (ISTAT) and is a key reference for household income and cost-push inflation.

It is drawn from labour-cost or earnings-structure surveys and administrative records, and is usually expressed as a rate of change (typically year on year) and as an index with a base year.

Wages are both the main component of household income and a large share of firms' costs, so their path is decisive for consumption and for the inflationary pressures the ECB monitors. Accelerating pay heightens concern about persistent inflation and higher interest rates.

Definitions and coverage are not always harmonised across countries. The figure is quarterly, sensitive to the composition of employment and to seasonal factors, and subject to revision.