Negotiated wages up by 4.0 percent in Q3 2026

Slight difference between sectors

Negotiated wages (including special remuneration) across the three sectors remained fairly stable in the third quarter of 2026: 3.9 percent in the public sector, 4.0 percent among subsidised institutions and 4.1 percent in the private sector. The difference between the sectors was more pronounced in Q3 2025.

Highest wage growth in specialised business services and construction

Negotiated wages grew by the most in the specialised business services sector and in the construction sector in Q3 2026, up by 5.0 percent, year on year. In Q3 2025, wages in the construction sector were below the average for all sectors. The financial services sector was also among the sectors with the highest increases in Q3 2026, up by 4.9 percent, year on year.
The accommodation and food services sector saw the lowest wage growth, at 2.9 percent. Information and communication is also among the sectors with the lowest wage growth, at 3.1 percent. A year earlier, wages in this sector had risen by the most of any sector.

Real wage growth of 0.8 percent

Real growth in negotiated wages (i.e. the change in negotiated wages adjusted for inflation) stood at 0.8 percent in Q3 2026. This is a provisional figure, because the inflation rate for this quarter only becomes available on 2 October (in the September flash estimate of inflation). This estimate is therefore based on the inflation trends seen in July and August. Real wages have now been on the rise for twelve consecutive quarters.