Summarizing the data from statistical reports for the ten months of the current year, one can note a stable monthly growth in the average monthly wage of Volyn residents.
Compared to the corresponding period last year, it increased by 29 percent and amounted to 399 hryvnias. Earnings in October stand at 451 hryvnias, which is almost twice the officially established minimum wage (237 hryvnias) and 17 percent above the subsistence minimum for able-bodied persons (386.73 hryvnias). However, due to low earnings in agriculture, where a significant portion of the region's workers are employed, the earnings of Volyn residents still remain among the lowest in Ukraine.
In those regions that have a predominantly agricultural orientation, in particular in Ratniv, Rozhyshche, and Turiisk districts, the wage level is twice lower than in Kovel, where 40 percent of hired workers are railway workers, or in the regional center, where the vast majority of industrial enterprises and management bodies are concentrated.
In terms of earnings, railway workers traditionally held first place, as well as workers in the sphere of financial intermediation, management and supervision in the field of taxation, pipeline transport, whose wages were more than twice the regional average (921–1377 hryvnias), as well as in the spheres of informatization, justice, compulsory social insurance (637–683 hryvnias). These types of activities employ an insignificant share of workers — from 0.1 to 2.1 percent in each, in total in the region — less than 6 percent. The lowest earnings over the 10 months were in agriculture — 194 hryvnias (14 percent of the region's workers), in the sphere of individual services, primary education, social assistance, recreation and entertainment, culture and sports — 214–269 hryvnias (6 percent). They were also below the regional average in healthcare — 311 hryvnias, where over 11 percent of the region's hired workers are employed, and in secondary education institutions — 354 hryvnias and respectively 14 percent. In industry (19 percent of workers) they earned an average of 534 hryvnias, in construction (4 percent) — 489 hryvnias.
There is a trend in the region toward an increase in the number of enterprises with a high wage level. Thus, among those submitting reports, the number of enterprises with accruals above 500 hryvnias increased from 14 percent in January–October 2003 to a quarter — this year. At the same time, the share of enterprises where accruals to workers are below the subsistence minimum for able-bodied persons amounted to 58 percent, including in every fourth one earnings only reached the level of the legally established minimum amount.