Employment Survey Released

The survey provides detailed comparisons on the factors that influence individual employee earnings. The results are compiled on the basis of earnings data provided by employers and individual data collected directly by the CSO from a sub-sample of employees.

Among the findings, the results show that employees earned an average of €19.16 per hour in October 2006. Men earned €20.50 per hour and women earned €17.67 per hour (86.2% of male hourly earnings).

Half of all employees earned less than €15.51 per hour (i.e. the median hourly earnings figure), but average hourly earnings for full-time workers were €20.11 with part-time workers received an average of €14.76 per hour.

The average working week was 34.8 hours. Men worked an average of 38.3 hours and women 31.0 hours per week.

Public sector average hourly earnings were €25.47 per hour, compared to €17.11 per hour for the private sector (67.2% of public sector average earnings).

The average employee in 2006 had been working for just over 16 years and had spent about 8.7 years in their current employment.

Average earnings per hour were highest in the education sector at €32.06 per hour followed by the electricity, gas and water supply sector of €29.50. The lowest average hourly earnings were in the hotels and restaurants sector, at €12.39 per hour.

Professional employees earned the highest hourly earnings of €31.37 while Sales workers had the lowest earnings at €13.21.

Employees who had a third level degree or higher tended to have higher earnings than those without and the difference increased with age. For employees aged under 25 years, those with a third level degree or higher earned €14.99 compared to €12.05 per hour for those with a higher secondary level of education (Leaving Certificate). This gap had widened to €42.51 and €21.20 respectively for employees aged 50 to 60 years.

Employees living in Dublin earned €20.46 per hour compared with €1 to €2 less for those living in the Rest of Leinster, Munster and Connaught (€18.96, €18.75 and €18.67 respectively). Employees in Ulster (including those living in the North and working in the Republic of Ireland) earned €16.67 per hour.

Average annual earnings were €37,200 in 2006, composed of €35,153 basic earnings and €2,046 irregular earnings and allowances. Earnings were highest in the electricity, gas and water supply sector at €66,667 and lowest in the hotels and resturants sector at €22,139.