Public sector wages up 3.6% in 2007

Average weekly earnings for the State’s 256,600 public sector employees rose by 3.6  per cent to €931.38 by the end of last year, according to data released today by the Central Statistics Office.

The figures do not  include those working in the health sector.

The rise compares to an increase of 4.1 per cent in average earnings in other sectors such as manufacturing, construction and banking,  although the CSO said it excludes some of the effects of changes in employment composition over the same period.

Over the 12 month period ending December 2007, the number public service employees increased by 6,300.

Employment in the health sector also increased from 106,300 to 111,500 over the year, a rise of 5,200.

However, because this increase includes the addition of certain grade and agencies since March last year, the CSO says a direct comparison is not possible.

Average earnings for public sector health workers are unknown and the Central Statistics Office confined itself to saying that "earnings information is not available at present" for such workers.

Broken down by sector, the report shows that employment in education grew by 4,000 to 100,900 over the year. Average earnings for this sector - which is predominately made up of teaching staff - increased from €875 to €921.63 a week over the year.

Secondary level employees - excluding vocational educational colleges and institutes of technology - are the highest earners on €1,049 a week within education. Their wages had grown by just under €45 per week when compared with December 2006.

Primary school teachers earned €861 a week on average in December 2007, while third level employees earned €1,011 per week.

The data also shows that the number of gardaí rose by 800 to 13,700 and that they were the highest paid public servants, earning an average of €1,262 per week. This figure includes only fully-trained gardaí.

The CSO classifies  student gardaí, TDs and persons not classified elsewhere under in a separate category. By December 2007 there were 1,200 employees in this category with average weekly earnings of €950.

According to the CSO, the earnings data released for all public service grades include wages and salaries, overtime pay, regular bonuses and commissions, holiday and sick pay.

The next highest earners were prison officers some 3,400 of whom were paid an average of €1,162 per week at the end of 2007. Over the period the number of prison service employees rose by around 200, the CSO report found.

One of the few areas of the public service to show a decline in staff were the semi-state organisations, where employee numbers dropped over the year by around 100 to 52,800. Average earnings for this sector were €1,008 per week.