pre_text: 4. Profit before tax The following items have been charged in arriving at profit before tax:
table: 2019 2018
table: Notes $ million $ million
table: Employee benefit costs 8 220.5 208.9
table: Costs of inventories recognised as an expense 81.6 79.8
table: Write-down of inventories to net realisable value 19 1.6 0.1
table: Amortisation of intangible assets 13 2.1 4.3
table: Depreciation of property, plant and equipment 14 14.7 16.5
table: Depreciation of right-of-use assets 15 7.5 –
table: Amortisation of assets recognised from costs to obtain a contract 21 0.5 0.6
table: Operating leases – minimum lease payments – 8.5
table: Expenses relating to short-term leases and leases of low-value assets 26 0.3 –
table: Product development costs 96.5 96.9
table: Net foreign exchange loss 0.6 0.6
question: Analyse this data from a financial earnings document. What was the change in employee benefit costs?