The average monthly salary of the Moldovans rose from 2,096 lei in January 2008 to 2,555 in January 2009, up 12.8 percent. The real growth, which takes inflation into account, constituted 6.7 percent, Info-Prim Neo learned from the National Statistics Bureau (NSB). According to NSB, the average salary in January for the public and private sector employees stood at 2,096 lei and 2,834 lei, respectively. The biggest salaries are paid by the companies formed through cooperation between Moldovan and foreign companies, with an average of 4,136 lei. The most rewarding businesses for an employee are dealing in the energy sector, including electricity, heat and gas, but also water utilities, where the average salary stands at 10,083 lei. The transportation and communication sector ranks second with 7,815 lei, followed by financing and banking, with 6,921 lei. The public employees in the financial sector have a salary by approximately 1,400 lei larger than their colleagues in the private sector. These statistics were collected and processed by NSB on the basis of the information provided by public and private sector companies with 20 and more employees, except for those dealing in the Transnistrian region.