The overall sum of delayed wages in Ukraine in October 2015 grew by 3.3%, the State Statistics Service has reported.

Since the beginning of the year, the debts have increased by 49.3%.

Wage debts as of November 1, 2015, were estimated at UAH 1.971 billion, or 5.3% of the overall monthly payroll fund for October. The wage arrears at operating companies amounted to UAH 1.04 billion, those of economically inactive businesses stood at UAH 16.343 million, and bankrupt enterprises'' debts made up UAH 335.858 million.

An increase in wage debts in October 2015 was seen in Zakarpattia region by 13.1%, Sumy region by 12.1%, Dnipropetrovsk region by 11.9%, Luhansk region by 9.6%, Khmelnytsky region by 7.9%, Kharkiv region by 5.2%, Vinnytsia region by 4.9%, Chernihiv region by 3.7%, and Kyiv city by 0.7%.

The following regions managed to reduce wage debts in October 2015: wage arrears in Chernivtsi region shrank by 21.9%, Ivano-Frankivsk region by 15.4%, Ternopil region by 14%, Volyn region by 11.7%, Cherkasy region by 11.4%, and Kyiv region by 5.9%.

Delayed salaries increased in finance and insurance by 9.4%, to UAH 23.039 and industry – by 6.5%, to UAH 1.392 billion.

Arrears in IT and telecoms reduced by 22.4%, to UAH 2.704 million, education – by 21.8%, to UAH 3.265 million, healthcare – by 16.15, to UAH 9.947 million, culture, sports, entertainment and recreation – by 15.7%, to UAH 2.469 million, administrative and support services – by 10%, to UAH 13.606 million, agriculture – by 9.7%, to UAH 9.105 million, transactions with property – by 9.3%, to UAH 11.222 million, transport, warehouses, postal and courier services – by 5.1%, to UAH 232.695 million, construction – by 4.5%, to UAH 101.682 million and social insurance – by 2.5%, to UAH 5.297 million.