Data on labour input (number of persons employed, hours worked, gross wages and salaries) in industry by economic activity (NACE Rev.2) expressed in index (2010) and percentage change compared to same period in the previous year.

Number of persons employed: The objective of the index of number of persons employed is to show the development of employment. The number of persons employed is defined as the total number of persons who work in the observation unit (inclusive of working proprietors, partners working regularly in the unit and unpaid family workers), as well as persons who work outside the unit who belong to it and are paid by it (e.g. sales representatives, delivery personnel, repair and maintenance teams).

Hours worked: The objective of the hours worked index is to show the development in the volume of work done. The total number of hours worked represents the aggregate number of hours actually worked for the output of the observation unit during the reference period.

Wages and salaries: The objective of the wages and salaries index is to approximate the development of the wage and salaries bill. Wages and salaries are defined as the total remuneration, in cash or in kind, payable to all persons counted on the payroll (including home workers), in return for work done during the accounting period, regardless of whether it is paid on the basis of working time, output or piecework and whether it is paid regularly.

The production of indices within Member States is normally based on the compilation of data from numerous sources. All national statistical authorities use statistical questionnaires for collecting STS data. However, their content and style vary greatly, partly because of cultural differences and partly because of the greater or lesser importance attached to respondents' burden and cost. These factors, as well as others, determine what information the national statistical authorities collect. In most of the national statistical authorities, the surveys are rarely restricted to one standard questionnaire or form but tend to be a combination of forms.