Workers in industry are bearing the brunt of the slowdown in the Irish economy a range of statistics show today.
Data released by the Central Statistics Office today show that the number of workers employed in industry has fallen by 18,000 of 6.7 per cent in the first nine months of the year.
Makers of electrical equipment were hardest hit by the downturn in global demand . The CSO data show that 10,900 lost their jobs in this electrical equipment firms.
The building industry has also seen a contraction with number employed falling by 2.1 in the twelve months to September 2002.
However average industrial earnings are still rising. Preliminary estimates for September 2002 show that the average weekly industrial wage increased by 6.2 per cent when compared with September 2001.
Average weekly earnings of all employees including industrial, clerical and managerial staff rose by 3.9 per cent in the year to September 2002. Clerical and managerial pay rose by 1.2 per cent.