Western EU countries top the world's list in labour costs

Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Luxemburg and the UK top the world's list as the most expensive countries in which to employ workers, a new survey suggested.

The EU member states from central and eastern Europe have less than a quarter of the labour costs of their western neighbours.

Carried out by Mercer Human Resource Consulting, a specialist in employee benefits, the survey showed the EU as a whole featured 15 percent lower employment costs compared to the US.

However, when th...