Исландия лидирует в Европе по стоимости труда для работодателей в 2025 году

Iceland had some of the highest hourly labour costs in Europe in 2025, according to Eurostat data highlighted by Morgunblaðið on Tuesday. The comparison is important but easy to misread: Eurostat’s measure is not simply hourly wages. It combines wages and salaries with non-wage employer costs such as social contributions, minus relevant subsidies. What’s the Story? - Iceland sits at the very top end of Eurostat’s European comparison of 2025 hourly labour costs. - The measure covers employers’ labour costs, not employees’ take-home pay or a simple hourly wage. - Eurostat notes that Iceland’s 2025 figures come from national sources and that cross-country euro comparisons are affected by exchange rates. Why labour cost is not the same as salary Eurostat defines total hourly labour costs as compensation of employees plus taxes and non-wage costs such as employers’ social contributions, less subsidies. The figures cover most of the business and service economy but exclude agriculture, public administration, household employers and some other activities. That makes the measure useful for comparing what labour costs employers, but not for answering what an average worker earns. Iceland Review reported last year that average total monthly earnings for full-time workers were ISK 984,000 in 2024, a different statistical measure. The comparison also needs exchange-rate context. Eurostat converts non-euro countries into euros using average annual exchange rates, so movements in the króna can shift Iceland’s relative position even when domestic pay has not changed by the same amount. The figures sit alongside a labour market that has continued to expand. Iceland Review recently reported that the workforce reached 225,100 people. They also matter in the context of the multi-year wage agreement intended to support economic stability. Eurostat says labour costs matter for inflation analysis because businesses may pass higher costs into prices when they are not matched by productivity gains. Source: Eurostat Read more stories covering Icelandic society, politics, business, and culture at Iceland Review News.