Romania registered the highest annual increase in hourly labour costs in the EU in the first quarter of 2025, according to data published on Monday by Eurostat. At the same time, the country continues to report one of the lowest job vacancy rates in the bloc. Hourly labour costs rose by 3.4% across the EU and by 4.1% in the euro area between January and March 2025, compared to the same period in 2024. Romania saw a significant annual jump of 16.1%, followed by Croatia (13.5%), Bulgaria (13%),