Twelve-month gross wages fell 1.6pc in October, dropping for the first time since January. November wages rose 3.8pc in the business sector and dropped 16.5pc in the public sector. Net wages inched up 0.2 in November from the same month a year earlier. They rose 5.2pc in the business sector and fell 10.4pc in the public sector. Calculating with CPI of 5.2pc in November, real wages fell 4.8pc. In January-November, gross wages were up 0.5pc from the same period a year earlier. Business sector wages increased 4.5pc and public sector wages fell 8.5pc. Net wages during the period rose 1.6pc, climbing 4.4pc in the business sector and sliding 5.0pc in the public sector. Calculating with 4.1pc CPI in January-November, real wages fell 2.4pc, rising 0.3pc in the business sector but slipping 8.7pc in the public sector, mainly because of changes to public sector workers annual bonuses. The number of employees averaged 2,650,500 in November, down 2.7pc from the same month a year earlier. Employee numbers in the business sector fell 6.5pc to 1,793,300, but numbers in the public sector were up 5.7pc at 760,200. In January-November, average employee numbers slipped 3.8pc to 2,663,600 from the same period a year earlier. The average gross monthly wage in Hungary was HUF 197,904 in January-November. Business sector workers were paid HUF 198,111 and public sector workers HUF 200,423. The average net monthly wage during the period was HUF 123,025. Business sector workers took home HUF 123,110 and public sector workers HUF 124,207.