LOWER AVERAGE SALARIES IN CROATIA IN JANUARY

ZAGREB, April 9 (Hina) - An average salary amounted to 3,052 kuna (approximately 380 US dollars) in Croatia in January. The wage fell by 3.7 percent nominally and 4.7 percent really as against December 1999, reported the Croatian Institute for Payment Operations (ZAP) last Friday. A grave economic situation in the beginning of 2000 affected incomes of employees. An increasing number of workers does not get salaries on time and payment of wages has been delayed in some firms for a few months. According to ZAP, 75.4 percent of legal entities (companies) with 37.6 percent of Croatian employees gives average salaries lower than 2,600 kuna ($325). Salaries going from 2600 to 4,500 kuna ($562) are paid by 20.4 percent of legal entities that employ 53.8 percent workers. Only 4.2 percent of legal entities with 8.6 percent employees ensures salaries above 4,500 kuna. Employees in sectors of financial transactions, public administration and defence, insurance funds, public care and utilities companies, education and mining received higher salaries than the average wage in January. Lower incomes per employee were registered in the sectors of fishing, trade, construction, hotels and restaurants, manufacturing industry, agriculture and real estate. Best average salaries were paid in Zagreb County with 3,453 kuna ($430) and the lowest wages were registered in Medjimurje County with 2,353 kuna ($294). (hina) ms