Employees in the formal non-agricultural business sector earned on average R5725 per month in February 2002, some 12,4% more than a year before, Statistics SA said on Thursday.
In real terms, at constant 2000 prices, the annual increase was six percent, Stats SA said in a statement.
Compared to November 2001, however, last February’s average represented a quarterly decrease of 4,5%.
The figures exclude agriculture, domestic and some other services and the self-employed not registered for VAT.
The highest annual increase, of 32,9%, was recorded in the transport, storage and communication industry. Financial institutions’ employees received 16,2% more, and those in the electricity, gas and water supply industry 13,6% more.
The latter industry was the one where the highest average monthly remuneration was paid in February 2002, namely R12 052. Financial institutions’ employees received a monthly average of R10 166, and those in the transport, storage and communication industry R7 482.
The quarterly decrease of 4,5% was mainly due to annual salary increases, annual bonuses paid, more commission paid, the appointment of higher-paid employees, the retrenchment of lower-paid employees and more hours worked in November 2001 than in February 2002, Stats SA said.
The highest average monthly ordinary-time hours paid for per employee in February was reported in the wholesale, retail and motor trade and hotels industry for full-time employees (183,9 hours per employee) and in the construction industry for part-time workers (132,2 hours per employee).
Both these industries paid the highest number of overtime hours, an average of 8,6, for part-time employees in February 2002.
Full-time employees in the transport, storage and communication industry were paid for an average of 14,9 overtime hours during that month. – Sapa