FINANCIAL AND ACCOUNTING INFORMATION 7. Distribution & administrative expenses 8. Salaries & benefits FOR THE YEAR ENDED FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, DECEMBER 31, (in millions of euros) 2017 2016 (in millions of euros) 2017 2016 Personnel costs (salaries & Salaries and social security benefits) 1,642.7 1,609.5 charge 1,558.2 1,530.9 Building and occupancy costs 271.9 268.5 Share-based payments 5.4 10.5 Other external costs 631.0 623.3 Pension and other post- retirement benefits-defined Depreciation expense 99.8 97.1 benefit plans 12.6 7.9 Amortization of intangible Other employee expenses 66.5 60.2 assets recognized upon the Total employee expenses 1,642.7 1,609.5 allocation of the acquisition price of acquired entities 19.0 18.7 Bad debt expense The table below sets forth average number of 24.6 34.7 employees by geographic segment: Total distribution and administrative expenses 2,688.9 2,651.8 FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2017 2016 Europe 15,787 16,085 North America 8,274 7,986 Asia-Pacific 3,245 3,232 Total operating segments 27,306 27,303 Corporate Holdings 224 247 Group average number 5 of employees 27,530 27,550 9. Other income & other expenses FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, (in millions of euros) 2017 2016 Gains on disposal of tangible assets 1.6 1.8 Write-back asset impairment – 1.2 Release of unused provisions 2.1 1.5 Gains on earn-out 1.9 0.3 Other operating income 1.5 0.8 Total other income 7.1 5.6 Restructuring costs (1) (44.1) (59.3) Disposal loss of South East Asia operations(2) (68.7) – Losses on non-current assets disposed of (4.6) (5.1) Impairment of goodwill (3) (133.7) (46.8) Asset write-offs (0.1) (6.4) Losses on earn-out – (2.5) Litigation costs (4.0) (6.6) Other operating expenses (5.1) (2.9) Total other expenses (260.1) (129.5) (1)I ncluding in 2017 (i) wind-up costs of €8.8 million, mainly consisting in asset write-offs, in relation with the shut-down of Oil & Gas business in Thailand as a result of market decline, (ii) restructuring costs of €32.9 million associated with business transformation programs (US regional reorganization, UK banners merger, Sweden), branch network and logistics optimization and (iii) changes in corporate senior management positions for €2.4 million (€14.1 million in 2016). (2) Consisting in the divestment loss of Rexel South East Asia for €57.6 million and Lenn International Pte Ltd for €11.1 million (see note 5). (3) Of which €86.2 million relating to Germany, €34.5 million relating to Finland and €13.0 million relating to New Zealand in 2017 (€38.3 million relating to China, €3.8 million to South East Asia and €4.7 million to Slovenia in 2016) (see note 12.1). REXEL 2017 – REGISTRATION DOCUMENT 231