The purpose of the labour cost index (LCI) is to reflect the trends in the hourly cost of labour of the salaried work force (cost of labour per hour of work).

The LCI is broken down by business sector. It covers the non-agricultural market sectors, excluding services to households (sections B to N of the NAF Rev. 2). The LCI is broken down into two indicators: on the one hand, the LCI - hourly wages (formerly known as LCI - wages and salaries until October 2023), which tracks changes in gross hourly wages, and on the other hand the LCI – hourly costs (formerly known as LCI - total labour cost until October 2023), which tracks changes in the average hourly cost of labour itself.

The LCI is harmonised on a European level (regulations n° 450/2003 and n° 1216/2003). The concepts used are based on the regulation for the implementation of the labour cost survey (LCS).

The results of the LCI by detailed sector of activity are published approximately 75 days after the end of the considered quarter. In addition, since November 2023, an initial estimate ("flash estimate") of the index has been published, at the level of the main sectoral groupings (industry, construction, services), approximately 45 days after the end of the quarter in question. When flash estimate of the LCI for a given quarter is published, data for previous quarters are not revised.

The LCI was set up in 2005, but the series made available date back to the first quarter of 1998.

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