Baltic wages increasing

Baltic News Service, RIGA

Latvia had the lowest average gross monthly wage among the three Baltic states in the third quarter of 2002, Latvia's statistics office reported.

In the third quarter of last year the average gross monthly wage in Latvia was $288, while in Lithuania it amounted to $321 and in Estonia $368 (Estonian data does not include health insurance allowances).

Compared with the third quarter of 2001, the average gross monthly wage in the third quarter of 2002 increased in all three Baltic states, with growth in Latvia amounting to 6.6 percent, in Lithuania 6 percent and in Estonia 10.4 percent.

In the third quarter of 2002 over the second quarter the average gross monthly wage in Latvia grew 1.6 percent, Lithuania gained 1 percent while in Estonia wages fell 7.9 percent.

In November 2002 the minimum monthly wage in Latvia was $100, in Lithuania $125 and in Estonia $118.