The average monthly salary of a national economy worker in the first eight months of this year was 1,952 lei, a 22% increase compared with the corresponding period of 2006. The real salary rose by 9%. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the average pay in the budgetary sphere in January-August 2007 was 1,563 lei, while in the real sector of the economy – 2,157 lei. The workers in agriculture still receive the lowest salaries. The average salary in agriculture in the given period was 939 lei or by 28.3% more compared with January-August 2006. The highest salaries were paid in the financial-banking sector – 4,344 lei on average (+15.6%). The average pay in education was 1,271 lei (+4.9%), in healthcare and social assistance – 1,607 lei (+24.4%). The salary in fish breeding was 1,265 lei (+18%), in extractive industry – 2,922 lei (+20.4%), in processing industry – 2,218 lei (+21.2%), in food industry – 2,213 lei (+22.3%), in beverage industry – 1,847 lei (+21.5%), in energy sector – 3,377 lei (+24.3%), in construction sector – 2,862 lei (+28.2%), in retail and wholesale trade – 1,888 lei (+36.3%), in hotel sector – 1,689 lei (+27%), in transport and communications – 2,914 lei (+18.5%), in real estate – 2,432 lei (+28.5%), in public administration – 2,385 lei (+22.6%). The average pay of a salary earner in August 2007 was 2,131 lei, a 21% increase compared with August 2006. The average salary in the budgetary sphere was 1,546 lei, while in the real sector – 2,407 lei.