Wages of half a million employees rise 3.58 per cent in January
Half a million employees will see their wages rise by 3.58 per cent from January as a result of the automatic indexation of Belgian wages, HR specialist SD Worx calculated on the basis of the December inflation. That inflation remains stable at 3.16 per cent.
The rise in wages applies to white-collar employees from the so-called joint committee 200, which consists of a very diverse group of sectors ranging from call centres and publishers to the graphic industry. Altogether, more than 523,000 employees work in all these companies.
In joint committee 200, wages are indexed annually, on 1 January. So, after an indexation of over 11 per cent in 2023 and 1.48 per cent in 2024, an indexation of 3.58 per cent will follow in January. “Overall, however, we note that the total indexation over four years - since 2022 - is about 20 per cent,” stated SD Worx.
Inflation of 3.2 per cent
As in October and November, inflation in December is around 3.2 per cent. That means that a family that spent 100 euros in December 2023 will now have to pay 103.2 euros for the same products. The European Central Bank targets an inflation rate of around 2 per cent.
Natural gas and electricity in particular became more expensive compared to December last year. But smoking products, olive oil, newspapers or jewellery also rose sharply in price compared to a year ago. In contrast, laptops, video equipment and all kinds of household appliances became significantly cheaper compared to a year ago.
Wallet with euro banknotes and coins © BELGA PHOTO IMAGO
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