Inflation rose slightly for the second month in a row. In May, prices were 6.1 percent higher than a year earlier, the Central Bureau of Statistics reports. In March the inflation rate was still 4.4 percent.

Food and drink is the main category that is becoming more expensive. Their prices rose by 12.8% on average. Price increases are declining somewhat.

Price increases for services, such as restaurants and theme parks, are still on the rise. Services have become, on average, 6.1 percent more expensive than they were last year.

Inflation is much lower than it was six months ago, when inflation was still well above 10 percent.

Pay increases agreed upon by employers and employees continue to increase. Figures from Statistics Netherlands have already shown that collectively agreed wages rose by 6 per cent earlier this year.

According to the employers’ association AWVN, the collective labor agreements agreed upon in May have increased slightly again. Interim figures show that the average wage increase agreed last month was an average of 7.8%. This is the highest increase ever measured by the employers’ organization.

Employers expect wages to peak. Partly because inflation has fallen and the economy has contracted, employers believe smaller pay increases will be agreed upon later this year.

Inflation is declining in other European countries. Spain’s inflation rate fell to 3.2 percent. A month ago it was still 4.1 per cent.

Germany’s inflation rate fell from 7.2 percent to 6.1 percent. France’s inflation rate fell from 6.9% to 6.0%.