In the year 2007 private German companies paid 29.10 Euros per working hour. Thus, in Europe German labour costs rank 7the behind Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, France and the Netherlands. Denmark had the highest costs with 35.00 Euros per hour while in Bulgaria these costs were lowest with 2.10 Euros. This was revealed through calculations by the Federal Statistical Office.
Differences in labour costs in European member states became smaller and smaller in 2007. In those member states where labour costs are above 20 Euros, they increased by less than 5%. If they amounted to less than 10 Euros the increase was between 10% and 30%. One reason for this was also the upward revaluation of national currencies. The increase of labour costs in Germany (+1.0%) was the smallest in all European member states.
In the processing industry which is particularly heavily exposed to international competition one working hour cost on average 33.0 Euros in Germany in the year 2007. These were the fourth highest costs in the European Union behind those of Belgium, Sweden and Denmark.
For each 100 Euros of a gross salary German employers paid 32 Euros of payroll fringe costs in the year 2007. In this respect Germany was in position 14 in the European Union (average amount 36 Euros). The respective figures for France and Sweden were 50 Euros for each 100 Euros of salary or wage compared to only 10 Euros in Malta. 