Salaries and pensions. Regional review.
The growth of wages in the first quarter of 2012 does not fully compensate for the price increase in the same period of time, while the growth of pensions fully covers the expenses caused by a price hike. The authorities will continue to increase pensions and salaries, mainly in industry in order to ensure social stability.
The workers of budgetary organisations, educational and health institutions are most vulnerable. There is no debt in pensions and wages payment to the population, while
businesses and organisations in the country have delinquent loans for the payment of wages amounting to 10% of the total payroll.
Businesses and organisations are not able to provide a rise in wages adequate to the price growth from their own funds. However, workers’ willingness to defend their income, even by means of strikes, forces the authorities to seek opportunities to provide income growth.
Disposable income (total personal income minus personal current taxes) adjusted for the consumer price index for goods and services) in the first quarter of 2012 as compared to the first quarter of 2011 decreased by 1.4%, while the forecast growth for 2012 was expected 3-3.5%.
The main sources of people’s income are salaries and transfer payments (pensions, social benefits and students’ scholarships). In the first quarter of 2012, their share in the total income of the population amounted to 85.6%.
The difference in income in different regions remains: in Minsk and Gomel regions, people’s income has reached and surpassed comparable prices as opposed to the same period of time last year while in Vitebsk, Brest, Grodno and Mogilev it has not.
Disposable income of the population in Minsk and regions
(Given in comparable prices, in% to the corresponding period of the last year)
First quarter, 2012 |
|
Republic of Belarus |
98,6 |
Regions: |
|
Brest |
95,0 |
Vitebsk |
98,1 |
Gomel |
101,1 |
Grodno |
97,6 |
Minsk, city |
97,7 |
Minsk |
102,5 |
Mogilev |
98,7 |
In the first quarter of 2012, the nominal gross of average monthly wages (except small private businesses) amounted to Br3. 006 million; in March – Br 3.16 million. Compared to February 2012, it has increased by 6.6%. Real wages (wages calculated correspondingly to the growth of consumer prices for goods and services) in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2011, decreased by 1.2%. In March 2012, they increased by 5% compared to February 2012.
In March 2012, in most organisations of the Republic (71.1%, excluding non-state small and micro organisations) wages ranged from 2 to 3 million rubles. In budgetary organisations nominal average monthly wages in the first quarter of 2012 amounted to Br2. 61 million; in comparison with the first quarter of 2011 it decreased by 2.5%.
According to statistics, in April 2912, at the institutions on Labor, Employment and Social Protection 2. 485.3 thousand pensioners were registered with an average pension rate of Br1.21 million. As compared to April 2011, it increased by 2.6%.
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