Kamenz (dpa/sn) - The disposable per capita income in Saxony increased in 2020, but is still well below the national average. As the State Statistical Office in Kamenz announced on Wednesday, the average income of people in Saxony climbed by 2.1 percent compared to 2019 to 21,538 euros. For comparison: A study by the Economic and Social Sciences Institute (WSI) of the Hans Böckler Foundation, which is close to the trade union, puts the national average at 23,706 euros.
According to the statistics office, there are differences between the 13 regions in Saxony. The highest per capita income was achieved in the district of Leipzig with 22,987. The city of Leipzig, on the other hand, brings up the rear in Saxony with EUR 20,051. However, the areas surrounding the three major cities also benefited from commuters.
The state office also pointed out that when considering the per capita values, the population must also be considered. Saxony is shrinking so that income is distributed among fewer people. The population fell by 0.3 percent from 2019 to 2020. Only the city of Leipzig (0.8 percent) as well as Dresden and the district of Leipzig (each 0.1 percent) recorded an increase.
The chairman of the German Trade Union Confederation in Saxony, Markus Schlimbach, called for more commitment from the Saxon government for equivalent living and working conditions. Schlimbach criticized that Saxony is at the bottom of the nationwide collective bargaining agreement. That has to change.
