Wages still highest in Estonia

Estonia posted the highest growth in average monthly earnings among the three Baltic countries in the first quarter of this year, while Lithuania's average wages grew the slowest.

The Lithuanian Statistics Department has released data showing that Estonia's average monthly earnings increased by 10.7 percent, while the respective growth rates in Latvia and Lithuania were 10.2 percent and 3.4 percent.

Estonia's average monthly gross earnings amounted to 405 euros in the first quarter, compared with Lithuania's 326 euros and Latvia's 279 euros.

In April, the minimum monthly earnings in Estonia reached 149 euros, compared with Lithuania's 125 euros and Latvia's 111 euros. In year-on-year terms, the minimum wages grew at a 17 percent rate in Estonia and Latvia each, while Lithuania's minimum wages remained unchanged.