National Employment Survey 2006
The National Employment Survey is a major workplace and earnings survey conducted by the Central Statistics Office. The results for March 2006 have been published today. The survey provides detailed comparisons on the factors that influence individual employee earnings. The results have been compiled on the basis of earnings data provided by employers and individual data collected directly by the CSO from a sub-sample of employees. The CSO wishes to thank the employers and employees who provided information for the survey.
The results for March 2006 show that:
- Employees earned an average of €19.47 per hour in March 2006. Men earned €20.59 per hour and women earned €18.22 per hour (88.5% of male hourly earnings).
- Half of all employees earned less than €15.39 per hour (i.e. the median hourly earnings figure). Two thirds of employees earned less than €20 per hour.
- Average hourly earnings for full-time workers were €20.74 while part-time workers received an average of €13.89 per hour.
- The average working week was 34.8 hours. Men worked an average of 38.4 hours and women 30.9 hours per week.
- The average employee has been working for just under 16 years and has spent about 9 1/2 years in his/her current employment.
- Average earnings per hour were highest in the Education sector (€32.27 per hour) followed by the Financial sector (€30.29) and Electricity, gas and water supply sector (€27.04). The lowest average hourly earnings were in the Hotels and restaurants sector, at €11.96 per hour.
- Professional occupations had the highest average earnings of €32.81 per hour, followed by Managers and administrators at €31.18 per hour. The lowest-paid occupational category was ‘Other occupations’ (mainly manual labour), with average earnings of €12.93 per hour.
- In all sectors men earned more than women. The greatest differences were in the Education and Health sectors, where women earned around 68% and 71% respectively of men’s average hourly earnings. The smallest difference was in the Hotels and restaurants sector, where women earned around 89% of men‘s hourly earnings. The gender pay gap was smallest for those in Clerical and secretarial occupations (women’s average earnings were about 91% of men’s) and greatest in Sales occupations (women earned 75% of men’s earnings).
- In the public sector workers earned an average of €26.08 per hour, which was 49% above the average of €17.48 for the private sector. Nearly half of public sector workers are in professional or associate professional and technical occupations, compared with about one in seven workers in the private sector. Also half of public sector workers had a third level qualification compared with 27.6% in the private sector.
- Within the private sector, large enterprises paid about 27% more per hour than small enterprises. Companies employing 250 or more people paid in excess of €19.26 in average hourly earnings, compared with averages of €15.22 per hour or less for those employing less than 50 people.
- Employees in age groups from 40 years and older had average hourly earnings upwards of €22.71, compared with €11.98 for those under 25. Similarly, those with 20 years or more of work experience earned averages upwards of €22.72 per hour; employees working for less than five years earned €12.98 per hour. Graduates earned twice as much as early school leavers - €29.89 per hour for graduates compared with €15.04 per hour for those with primary or lower secondary education.
- Employees with Irish nationality had the highest average hourly earnings of €19.86, while employees from EU Accession States had the lowest at €11.52 per hour. In the Wholesale and retail sector Irish and non-Irish employees had similar hourly earnings, but in most other sectors non-Irish employees earned between 77% to 86% of Irish employees.
- A comparison of March 2003 and March 2006 NES results show that overall average hourly earnings increased by 18.6% in the three year period. The average working week decreased very slightly from 34.9 hours in March 2003 to 34.8 hours in March 2006. Public sector earnings increased by 24.0% while private sector earnings by 16.3%. The gender pay gap narrowed from 84.2% in March 2003 to 88.5% in March 2006.
National Employment Survey 2006 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:
Paul M Crowley, Senior Statistician (021-453 5090) or
Mary Smyth, Statistician (021-453 5309)
LoCall: 1890 313 414
Internet www.cso.ie
Email: nes@cso.ie
20 December 2007
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