31/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - Labour costs rise by 1.1% in the eurozone in 2014. In 2014, hourly labour costs in the whole economy (except farming and public services) were estimated at an average of `€29.20 in the eurozone and €24.60 in the EU as a whole - in other words, rises of 1.1% and 1.4% respectively over a year, according to figures released by the EU's statistical office, Eurostat, on Monday 30 March. Hourly labour costs rose sharply in the United Kingdom (+6.7%), Estonia (+6.6%), Latvia (+6%), Romania (+5.5%) and Slovakia (+5.2%), but fell in seven member states - the Czech Republic (-3.8%), Ireland (-0.2%), Croatia (-1.6%), Cyprus (-2.8%), Hungary (-0.5%), Portugal (-0.8%) and Sweden (-2.2%). (Jan Kordys)