Foresters, pharma and telecom employees, bankers and insurersreceived huge premiums and bonuses at the end of last year.
Wages in several industries defied the crisis and surged lastDecember despite the gloomy feelings analysts, companies andauthorities had been voicing in the second half of the year withregard to the trend of the economy.
The strongest increase last December was posted by incomes offorestry employees, which went up 41% against November, accordingto National Statistics Institute (INS) data, to an average netsalary of 1,603 RON.
In the ranking of income raises, next came pharma and telecomemployees (a 33% increase), insurance (+22%) and banking staff(+20%).
"Significant bonuses were indeed awarded both in the private andpublic sectors. This means companies can still afford it and thesituation is not that bad, that the economy is not in shatters. Itis also possible that things got better toward yearend andcompanies could afford to pay more," says Nicolae Chidesciuc,chief-economist with ING Bank.
Holiday premiums, the 13th wage and certain bonuses aretraditionally awarded in December, but the increases of December2009 are surprising as most companies had complained about fallingsales and major cash problems last year. Moreover, the privateenvironment considerably adjusted its headcount, laying off tens ofthousands and announcing it would freeze or even cut wages.
Ruxandra Stoian, partner and HR consulting manager withPricewaterhouseCoopers, says that despite the heavy budgetaryconstraints of 2009, very few companies moved to slash or eliminatecompensations as these are usually stipulated in collective labourcontracts, and therefore compulsory. "Still, a comparison withDecember 2008, when cost cutting moves had already started, showsthat salaries actually posted a slight decline," states Stoian.
At the level of the entire economy, the net average salary roseby 8% from November, to 1,477 RON (350 euros), but on an annualbasis it entered negative territory, dropping by 0.8% from December2008.
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