News Releases

Short-term Services Indicators: Q2/2026

NR 149/2026
Release Date: 24 August 2026
Cut-off Date: 12 August 2026

During the second quarter of 2026, seasonally adjusted services turnover increased by 7.6 per cent over the first quarter of 2026. When compared to the same quarter of 2025, working-day adjusted turnover in selected service activities went up by 10.4 per cent.
Short-term Services Indicators: Q1/2023

After adjusting for seasonal effects and the working-day pattern, the total services turnover index increased by 7.6 per cent between the first quarter and second quarter of 2026.

The highest increase in turnover was recorded in wholesale trade (38.5 per cent), followed by real estate activities (8.9 per cent), transportation and storage (4.2 per cent), administrative and support service activities (3.2 per cent), accommodation and food service activities (3.1 per cent), retail trade (1.8 per cent), and information and communication (1.0 per cent).

On the other hand, turnover declined in professional, scientific, and technical activities (1.1 per cent) and motor vehicles trade (0.7 per cent) (Table 1).

Between the first and second quarters of 2026, the number of persons employed dropped by 1.1 per cent (Table 3). However, an increase of 0.8 per cent was registered in both gross wages and salaries (Table 5) and hours worked (Table 7).

Annual comparison

During the second quarter of 2026, the total services turnover index registered an increase of 10.4 per cent on an annual basis after adjusting for the working-day pattern.

Increases in turnover were registered in wholesale trade (30.9 per cent), administrative and support service activities (10.3 per cent), accommodation and food service activities (8.2 per cent), retail trade (6.0 per cent), motor vehicles trade (4.9 per cent), information and communication (4.3 per cent), transportation and storage (2.6 per cent), and professional, scientific, and technical activities (0.6 per cent). On the contrary, a decrease of 4.3 per cent was recorded in real estate activities (Table 2).

When compared to the second quarter of 2025, the indicators for the number of persons employed (Table 4) and hours worked (Table 8) went down by 2.9 per cent and 1.2 per cent, respectively. However, gross wages and salaries increased by 3.2 per cent (Table 6).

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Methodological Notes

1. The aim of this news release is to provide information on the business cycle within the services sector. The results are compiled and published according to the statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community, NACE Rev. 2.
 
2. Questionnaires are sent to approximately 900 business units categorised within the services sector. The data is then grossed up to represent the entire services population. For each NACE division (for example NACE Division 45 for motor trade), a sample was selected. Business units are asked to provide information on turnover, employment, hours worked, and wages and salaries. For NACE Section L (real estate activities), the contracts data from the Inland Revenue Department is also used. The indices were calculated for each division, showing the level of the specified variable (for example employment) relative to the average level throughout the base year 2021.
 
3. The indices in this news release are working-day and seasonally adjusted. These statistical methods aid in the interpretation of data by removing regularly recurring variations from a time series. Working-day adjustment is a statistical method for removing the calendar effect from an economic time series. The calendar effect is the variation caused by the changing number of working days in different quarters. When there are no working-day or seasonal adjustments to be made, the index is published in its unadjusted form.
 
4. The number of working days for a given quarter may depend on the timing of certain public holidays, the possible overlap of certain public holidays and non-working days and the occurrence of a leap year. This method is used to make a comparison with the corresponding quarter of the previous year.
 
5. Seasonal adjustment removes variations which include effects due to quarter length, holidays and particular events such as Christmas. Statistically, seasonal adjustment takes place after a time series has already been cleared of calendar effects by way of working-day adjustment. This method is used to compare data for a specific quarter with the previous quarter. In seasonal and working-day adjustment, the direct approach is used, since adjustments are made directly to the individual indices.
 
6. In line with the Regulation on Short-term Business Statistics, services exclude Financial and insurance activities and Gambling and betting activities.
 
7. Definitions:
Turnover: includes total sales and other income and is expressed net of VAT. Turnover is presented in current prices.
Gross wages and salaries: covers wages and salaries including bonuses, weekly allowances (cost of living allowances), overtime and national social security contributions by the employee. It does not include employers’ social security contributions.
Employment: covers all persons employed, regardless of whether they are part-time or full-time, and includes paid employees as well as working proprietors and unpaid family workers. Employment is not working-day adjusted since the number of employees does not depend on factors that make up the working-day effect.
Hours worked: covers total amount of hours actually worked, regular working hours and during overtime, nights, Sundays or public holidays. Hours worked but not paid are also considered.
 
8. The data contained in this news release should be considered as provisional and subject to revision. For an updated time series which includes past data, please refer to the Selected Indicators for this domain.
 
9. Weighting structure by activity/industry and variables (2021)
NACE Section / Division NACE label Turnover Employment Hours worked Gross wages and salaries
G Wholesale and retail; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles 43.5 28.5 28.2 23.3
      G45       Motor vehicles trade 2.7 2.6 2.0 1.6
      G46       Wholesale trade 26.9 9.5 11.3 11.2
      G47       Retail trade 13.9 16.4 14.9 10.5
H Transportation and storage 14.6 10.5 10.5 12.1
I Accommodation and food service activities 4.0 15.1 13.7 10.1
J Information and communication 15.1 8.8 9.8 15.7
L Real estate activities 3.0 3.0 2.4 2.1
M Professional, scientific, and technical activities 12.6 15.3 14.0 18.1
N Administrative and support service activities 7.2 18.8 21.4 18.6
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

10. The calculation of the percentage changes from the indices table may slightly differ from the published percentage changes due to rounding.

11. More information relating to this news release may be accessed at:

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12.  A detailed news release calendar is available online.

13. References to this news release are to be cited appropriately. For guidance on access and re-use of data please visit our dedicated webpage.

14. For further assistance send your request through our online request form.

Short-term Services Indicators: Q2/2026

NR 149/2026
Release Date: 24 August 2026
Cut-off Date: 12 August 2026

Short-term Services Indicators: Q1/2023
  • When compared to the second quarter of 2025, working-day adjusted turnover in selected service activities increased by 10.4 per cent.
  • The largest increase was recorded in wholesale trade (30.9 per cent).
  • When compared to the corresponding quarter of 2025, employment and hours worked decreased by 2.9 per cent and 1.2 per cent, respectively, while gross wages and salaries increased by 3.2 per cent.
  • Seasonally adjusted services turnover went up by 7.6 per cent, with the highest increase occurring in wholesale trade (38.5 per cent) when compared to the first quarter of 2026.

Short-term Services Indicators: Q2/2026

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