While the total sales of large companies and corporate SMEs increased by 1.4% in the second quarter, number of employees increased by 3.3% Workers’ wages, measured as average gross income, rose 5.7%, according to the Tax Office’s statistics on ‘Sales, employment and salaries at large companies and SMEs’ released this Wednesday.
According to the report, Sales of these companies Growing 1.4% between March and June, they remained 2.7 points below the growth in the first quarter of the year.
The Tax Office reminded that the increase in the inter-year rate in the first quarter had a certain effect. positive biasAs a result of the impact of last year’s transport strike that affected activity throughout March.
In this quarter the opposite happens, Growth suppressed compared to the 2022 quarter this included a month of April when activities rebounded after the strike. In all of the two quarters, the rate (2.8%) is similar to the rate observed in the last quarter of 2022.
Indoor sales increased by 1.7% within sales In the second quarter, it was about two points lower than the first quarter, while the increase in the whole year was 2.7%.
The development of its components was erratic in June as growth in consumer sales was more moderate (1.4% compared to 5.3% in the previous quarter). Share sales continued to grow (8.8% compared to the previous 8.3%). In the second period, equipment and software sales slightly reduced their growth (14.8% compared to 17.2 in the first quarter), while construction sales increased by 3.6%.
On the other hand, exports increased by 0.6% in the quarter and by 3% in the year total. The rate for the quarter is almost five points lower than before, above all a result of the decline (-2.9%) in sales to third countries for the first time in two years. Sales to the EU, on the other hand, slowed their pace (from 6.2% in the first quarter to 4.1%).
Job creation slows down
Looking at employment, the number of people receiving work income increased by 3.3%, about one point lower than in the first quarter. The increase in employment in the first half was 3.9%.
On the other hand, the increase average gross income –salary– stays high. In the second quarter, the increase was 5.7%, almost at the same rate as the first quarter of the year.
As explained by the Tax Office, the intensity of this increase is in response to the gradual inclusion of increases in the general price level recorded since mid-2021 in salary reviews and, as a result, is not expected in the remainder. the year is being observed important changes From this point.