Wages are one of the most important statistical indicators, on the basis of which a whole «family» of indicators is constructed, which allows estimating both incomes and labour costs. However, correct cross-country comparisons are possible only with the similar standards for measuring labour remuneration.
This article traces the evolution of the concept of wages from tariff earnings to income from employment, analyzes the role of international organizations in the process of unifying this section of statistics. Among the reasons that led to the revision of the concept of wages, we should note the increase in the number of incentive payments, as well as expansion of non-standard jobs. There has been a change in the role of different sources of wage information – enterprise surveys are increasingly supplemented by labour market surveys and administrative statistics. Analysis of wage statistics in the European Union and the United States has shown that the countries of the European Union have achieved the greatest success in the unification of wage statistics.
The main peculiarity of the Eurostat wage concept, in contrast to the ILO concept, is the expansion and significant detailing of the components included in wages, paid both in cash and in kind. US wage statistics are distinguished by the use of various sources of information with an emphasis on labour force surveys, high frequency of surveys conducted, and the provision of detailed information. Individual surveys supplement each other, and the combination of the information provided with the overall reporting of enterprises leads to a reduction in financial costs. The experience of developed countries in obtaining and processing statistics on wages can be important for the improvement of the wage system in the Russian Federation.