Wages and salaries in Germany rose more strongly in 2022 than the EU average, with employees in the service sector benefiting the most. Overall, the financial expenditure per hour worked in the private sector increased by an annual average of 2022. This was slightly higher than in the EU as a whole, where labour costs rose by 5.4 percent. In an EU comparison, Germany's labour costs ranked 6th out of a total of 27 countries. Labour costs were lowest in Bulgaria at 8 euros per hour.