PRAGUE, Czech Republic, June 1 (UPI) -- Real wages in the Czech Republic rose at a year-on-year pace of 6.4 percent in the first three months of the year, official figures showed Tuesday.
Czech real wages rose by 6.2 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of last year.
Monthly wages in the Czech Republic, at $645, are among the highest among the eight former communist countries that joined the European Union on May 1.
The highest wages in that group are paid in Slovenia, where the average monthly wage is $1,326. Hungary is in second place with average monthly wages of around $662.
In Poland, by contrast, the largest of the European Union newcomers, monthly wages are $613. In Slovakia, the new favorite among foreign investors in the region, the average wage is just $424, although lower wages are offset by relatively low living costs.
Governments in central and eastern Europe are concerned that rising real wages will diminish their attractiveness to foreign investors.
