The nominal unit labour cost (NULC) index is defined as the ratio of labour cost to labour productivity, where labour cost is the ratio of compensation of employees (current prices) to hours worked by employees, and labour productivity is the ratio of gross domestic product (at market prices in millions, chain-linked volumes reference year 2015) to total hours worked.

The input data are obtained through official transmissions of national accounts' country data in the ESA 2010 transmission programme.

The data are expressed as % change on previous year and as index 2015=100.

The labour productivity is the ratio of gross domestic product at current price (nominal) to total hours worked by employees and self-employed (domestic concept). The GDP per hour worked gives an indication of how much economic production activity can be attributed to each hour worked in the economy. If the index of a country is higher than 100, this country's level of GDP per person employed is higher than the EU average and vice versa. Basic figures are expressed in PPS, i.e. a common currency that eliminates the differences in price levels between countries allowing meaningful volume comparisons of GDP between countries.

Please note that persons employed does not distinguish between full-time and part-time employment.

The input data are obtained through official transmissions of national accounts' country data in the ESA 2010 transmission programme. Data are expressed as percentage change comparing year Y with year Y-1 and as Index 2015.

Compensation of employees (at current prices) is defined as the total remuneration, in cash or in kind, payable by an employer to an employee in return for work done by the latter during the accounting period. Compensation of employees consists of wages and salaries, and of employers' social contributions. The input data are obtained through official transmissions of national accounts' country data in the ESA 2010 transmission programme. The data are expressed in million national currency.

Persons in employment are those who, during the reference week, did any work for pay or profit, or were not working but had a job from which they were temporarily absent. Anyone who receives a wage for on-the-job training that involves the production of goods or services is also considered as being in employment. Self-employed and family workers are also included. Employment is measured in number of persons without distinction according to full-time or part-time work. The data are expressed in 1000 persons. The quarterly data are not seasonally adjusted. Data are sourced from National accounts data. The ESA 2010 distinguishes two employment concepts depending on the geographical coverage: resident persons in employment (i.e. the national scope of employment) and employment in resident production units irrespective of the place of residence of the employed person (i.e. domestic scope). The table presents total employment, according to the domestic concept.