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National Employment Survey - First Results


The National Employment Survey is a major new workplace survey conducted by the Central Statistics Office. The results for March 2003 have been published today. The survey provides more detailed comparisons than previously available of the factors that influence employees’ earnings. The results have been compiled using a new methodology based on earnings data provided by employers and individual data collected directly by the CSO from a sample of employees. The CSO wishes to thank the employers and employees who provided information for the 2003 survey. The National Employment
Survey is being conducted annually from 2006, to provide comparable annual results.

The results for March 2003 show that:

  • Employees earned an average of €16.41 per hour in March 2003.
  • The hourly earnings figure for women was 84% of that for men. Men earned €17.74 per hour and women earned €14.93 per hour.
  • The gender pay gap was lower for workers aged under 30 and for those in professional occupations. In the public sector, earnings were higher for women under 30 than for men in that age category.
  • Half of all employees earned less than €13.08 per hour (i.e. the median hourly earnings figure). Three quarters of employees earned less than €20 per hour.
  • Average hourly earnings for full-time workers were €17.53 while part-time workers received an average of €11.32 per hour.
  • In the public sector, workers earned an average of €21.04 per hour, which was 40% above the average of €15.03 for the private sector. Over half of public sector workers are in professional or technical occupations, compared with about one in eight workers in the private sector.
  • Within the private sector, large enterprises paid about 50% more per hour than small businesses. Companies employing 500 or more people paid an average of over €18 per hour, compared with about €13 per hour for those employing less than 50 people.
  • The average working week was 33 hours. Men worked an average of 36.2 hours and women 29.4 hours per week.
  • The average employee has been working for just over 15 years and has spent about 8 1/2 years in his/her current employment.


Highest hourly earnings in Education and Financial sectors


Average earnings per hour were highest in the Education sector (€27.24 per hour) followed by the Financial sector (€24.50) and Electricity, Gas and Water (€22.88). In all sectors, men earned more than women. The greatest difference was in the Financial sector (€30.63 for men compared with €20.32 for women). There was also a large difference in the Education sector (€34.00 for men and €24.37 for women). The lowest average hourly earnings were in Hotels and Restaurants, at €10.30 per hour. This sector also had the smallest difference between men’s and women’s earnings (€10.95 per hour for men
and €9.86 for women).


Professional jobs have lowest gender pay gap


Professional workers and Managers / Administrators were the highest-earning occupations, at over €26 per hour. Professional jobs had the lowest gender pay gap: women earned €25.57 per hour, which was 94.6% of the amount earned by men in professional occupations (€27.04 per hour). The lowest-paid occupational category was Sales, with average earnings of €10.83 per hour.


Experience and qualifications have positive influence on earnings


Employees in their forties or fifties earned just over €19 per hour, compared with €10.44 for those under 25. Similarly, those with 20 years or more of work experience earned about €20 per hour; employees working for less than five years earned €10.86 per hour. Graduates earned twice as much as early school leavers - €25.61 per hour for graduates compared with €12.61 per hour for those with primary or lower secondary education.

 

National Employment Survey 2003 is priced at €10.00 and is available from:

The Central Statistics Office, Information Section, Skehard Road, Cork.

The Government Publications Sales Office, Sun Alliance House, Molesworth Street,

Dublin 2.

For further information contact:

Ger Healy, Senior Statistician (021-453 5205) or

Bernadette Cabry, Statistician (021-453 5308)

LoCall: 1890 313 414

Internet www.cso.ie
Email: nes@cso.ie

24 May 2006

 

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