Salary increase, Istat: + 0.6% in 2021

Salaries, that’s how much they have risen in Italy. On average in 2021, the hourly wages index grew by 0.6% compared to the previous year, according to Istat. The monthly index of contractual wages in December 2021 recorded an increase of 0.1% compared to November and 0.7% compared to December 2020; in particular, the trend increase reached 1.2% for industrial employees, 0.8% for private services employees, while it was zero for the public administration. They grew by only 0.6%, notes the institute, due to the non-renewal of some contracts. In detail, the highest trend increases concern the private pharmacy sector (+ 3.9%), telecommunications (+ 2.5%) and credit and insurance (+ 2.0%); no increase for construction, trade, information and communication services and public administration. In light of the dynamics of consumer prices – which accelerated sharply in the second half of the year and equal to about three times that of wages – there was also a reduction in purchasing power. Specifically in the fourth quarter of 2021, the trend wage growth barely exceeded 1.0% in the agricultural and industrial sectors, stopped just above 0.6% in the private services sector and was zero in the public sector. concludes Istat.