Cao wages, contractual wage costs and working hours; index (2020=100)

Cao wages, contractual wage costs and working hours; index (2020=100)

Cao sector Sector/Branches SIC 2008 Version Periods Index figures Hourly cao wages incl. special payments (2020=100) Index figures Hourly contractual wage costs (2020=100) Year-on-year change Hourly cao wages incl. special payments (%) Year-on-year change Hourly contractual wage costs (%)
Total collective labour agreement sector A Agriculture, forestry and fishing Current figures 2024 1st quarter* 117.2 117.6 8.2 8.8
Total collective labour agreement sector A Agriculture, forestry and fishing First-published figures 2024 1st quarter* 117.2 117.6 . .
Total collective labour agreement sector J Information and communication Current figures 2024 1st quarter* 114.9 116.0 6.0 6.4
Total collective labour agreement sector J Information and communication First-published figures 2024 1st quarter* 114.9 116.0 . .
Sector private companies A Agriculture, forestry and fishing Current figures 2024 1st quarter* 117.2 . 8.2 .
Sector private companies A Agriculture, forestry and fishing First-published figures 2024 1st quarter* 117.2 . . .
Sector private companies J Information and communication Current figures 2024 1st quarter* 114.8 . 6.5 .
Sector private companies J Information and communication First-published figures 2024 1st quarter* 114.8 . . .
Sector subsidised corporations A Agriculture, forestry and fishing Current figures 2024 1st quarter* . . . .
Sector subsidised corporations A Agriculture, forestry and fishing First-published figures 2024 1st quarter* . . . .
Sector subsidised corporations J Information and communication Current figures 2024 1st quarter* 116.2 . 3.0 .
Sector subsidised corporations J Information and communication First-published figures 2024 1st quarter* 116.2 . . .
Sector government A Agriculture, forestry and fishing Current figures 2024 1st quarter* . . . .
Sector government A Agriculture, forestry and fishing First-published figures 2024 1st quarter* . . . .
Sector government J Information and communication Current figures 2024 1st quarter* . . . .
Sector government J Information and communication First-published figures 2024 1st quarter* . . . .
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Dataset is not available.


This table contains index figures of the quantification of the development of the contractual wages (also known as cao wages or negotiated wages), contractual wage costs and contractual working hours of employees in the Netherlands. The table contains index figures on a number of elements contained in the collective labour agreements (in Dutch: cao), namely wages per month and per hour including and excluding special payments, contractual wage costs (per month and per hour) and contractual working hours. In addition, it presents developments calculated on the basis of these indices and the percentage of collective labour agreements completed.

Data available from: 1972, for the annual figures (up to and including 2019 to a limited extent) and from 2020, for the monthly figures and quarterly figures. No index figures based on 2020=100 are yet available for 1972-2019; those figures will be added later in this table.

Status of the figures:
All the figures from 1972 to 2022 are definitive. The figures for 2023 and 2024 are provisional.

Changes as of 4 April 2024:
The provisional figures for March and the 1st quarter 2024 have been added and the provisional figures from January 2023 to February 2024 have been revised.

When will new figures be published?
The monthly figures are published within one week after the end of the calendar month concerned. This initial figure is called the first-published figure. The index is subsequently reviewed every month based on the additional completed collective labour agreements in that month.

Current figures marked with * are provisional. Up to the second quarter they can be reviewed monthly based on new completed collective labour agreements. In the second quarter the figures of the previous calendar year become definitive (current figures without *).

Description topics

Index figures
Index
An index is the ratio between two values, based on a base year which equals to100.
The use of indices makes it simpler and easier to monitor and compare the development of certain quantities (wages, prices) over time.
Hourly cao wages incl. special payments
Hourly cao wages including special payments
These are the cao wages including special payments and the development of yearly working hours.
Cao wages include:
- gross basic wage rates for normal working hours of full-time employees.
- all required mandatory (compulsory), regularly paid allowances.
Special payments include:
- all binding (compulsory) prescribed special (non-monthly) payments belonging to the gross wages, such as holiday allowance, Christmas bonus, one-time payments the compensation for public health costs.
Conditional bonuses, e.g. bonuses based on the employee's age, bonuses for shift work and individual wage increases are not included in cao wages and special payments.
Hourly contractual wage costs
Hourly contractual wage costs
The index of hourly contractual wage costs indicates the development of labour costs for employers in which the development of contractual working hours has been taken into account. This includes the cao wage including special payments plus statutory and contractual employer contributions to pension, early retirement, unemployment, sickness, disability and social funds. Both changes in the collective wages and changes in employers' contributions as well as changes in annual working hours are reflected in the contractual hourly wage costs figures.
Year-on-year change
Year-on-year change
These percentage changes are always related to the current figures and are compared to same period in the previous year.
Hourly cao wages incl. special payments
Hourly cao wages including special payments
These are the cao wages including special payments and the development of yearly working hours.
Cao wages include:
- gross basic wage rates for normal working hours of full-time employees.
- all required mandatory (compulsory), regularly paid allowances.
Special payments include:
- all binding (compulsory) prescribed special (non-monthly) payments belonging to the gross wages, such as holiday allowance, Christmas bonus, one-time payments the compensation for public health costs.
Conditional bonuses, e.g. bonuses based on the employee's age, bonuses for shift work and individual wage increases are not included in cao wages and special payments.
Hourly contractual wage costs
Hourly contractual wage costs
The index of hourly contractual wage costs indicates the development of labour costs for employers in which the development of contractual working hours has been taken into account. This includes the cao wage including special payments plus statutory and contractual employer contributions to pension, early retirement, unemployment, sickness, disability and social funds. Both changes in the collective wages and changes in employers' contributions as well as changes in annual working hours are reflected in the contractual hourly wage costs figures.