This chapter compares the real average weekly earnings of employees under and over 18 years of age working as Industrial workers in the Industry sector. The average real earnings of juvenile and adult employees in the Construction sector are also presented.
Males aged 18 and over earned more than males aged under 18 during the time period 1942 to 1972 and this difference rose from €115 in 1942 to €152 by 1972. Females aged 18 and over also earned more than females aged under 18 but the difference was much smaller, and increased from €40 to €67 over the time period.
Male and female average earnings for under 18 year olds tracked one another from 1942 to 1968. In 1969 male under 18 employees increased substantially while female under 18 year olds did not experience this earnings growth.
| Male U18 | Male O18 | Female U18 | Female O18 | |
| 1942 | 42.13 | 157.12 | 38.26 | 77.95 |
| 1943 | 41.28 | 149.2 | 37.12 | 76.59 |
| 1944 | 42.95 | 151.78 | 39.5 | 79.34 |
| 1945 | 44.65 | 158.01 | 40.15 | 83.94 |
| 1946 | 50.35 | 171.77 | 44.92 | 94.39 |
| 1947 | 55.36 | 194.71 | 49.72 | 103.42 |
| 1948 | 59.87 | 207.7 | 54.25 | 108.5 |
| 1949 | 62.72 | 214.56 | 56.64 | 113.92 |
| 1950 | 65.26 | 217.27 | 58.94 | 117.09 |
| 1951 | 66.96 | 220.78 | 59.36 | 116.53 |
| 1952 | 65.69 | 215.37 | 59.63 | 116.16 |
| 1953 | 65.71 | 218.1 | 58.68 | 116.98 |
| 1954 | 68.44 | 223.94 | 59.27 | 118.79 |
| 1955 | 71.68 | 228.94 | 63.1 | 122.98 |
| 1956 | 71.02 | 230.93 | 64.47 | 124.04 |
| 1957 | 69.01 | 228.88 | 61 | 120.97 |
| 1958 | 71.45 | 230.79 | 63.67 | 123.72 |
| 1959 | 73.08 | 239.61 | 67.6 | 129.72 |
| 1960 | 81.49 | 256.15 | 72.87 | 137.13 |
| 1961 | 82.7 | 267.73 | 74.52 | 139.28 |
| 1962 | 87.87 | 281.34 | 80.13 | 147.54 |
| 1963 | 91.53 | 286.8 | 83.28 | 150.36 |
| 1964 | 96.38 | 297.43 | 88.46 | 153.65 |
| 1965 | 95.84 | 294.08 | 88.04 | 150.98 |
| 1966 | 103.91 | 316.39 | 95.91 | 162.46 |
| 1967 | 106.85 | 320.56 | 97 | 163.87 |
| 1968 | 114.35 | 339.31 | 106.38 | 172.53 |
| 1969 | 146.9 | 368.59 | 112.89 | 173.79 |
| 1970 | 158.65 | 392.67 | 127.05 | 189.75 |
| 1971 | 169.92 | 409.77 | 129.89 | 198.16 |
| 1972 | 181.48 | 432.91 | 142.27 | 209.57 |
Real average weekly earnings of adults and juveniles in the Construction sector converged between 1986 and 1999. However, from 1999 to 2004 the gap between the average earnings of adults and juveniles increased before converging again in 2006 and 2007.
| Unskilled and semi-skilled - adults | Unskilled and semi-skilled - juveniles | |
| 1986 | 426.08 | 228.01 |
| 1987 | 413.37 | 217.44 |
| 1988 | 429.36 | 232.67 |
| 1989 | 431.9 | 235.06 |
| 1990 | 437.89 | 243.36 |
| 1991 | 449.11 | 262.26 |
| 1992 | 481.29 | 270.02 |
| 1993 | 482.57 | 305.51 |
| 1994 | 515.73 | 312.33 |
| 1995 | 523.42 | 368.8 |
| 1996 | 542.27 | 361.99 |
| 1997 | 564.18 | 380.25 |
| 1998 | 570.49 | 427.44 |
| 1999 | 620.48 | 517.72 |
| 2000 | 696.91 | 532.87 |
| 2001 | 739.7 | 483.59 |
| 2002 | 770.12 | 440.73 |
| 2003 | 763.77 | 441.72 |
| 2004 | 778.82 | 425.63 |
| 2005 | 815.59 | 447.3 |
| 2006 | 813 | 501.87 |
| 2007 | 833.77 | 567.07 |
| 2008 | 800.31 | 470.36 |
Go to: Purchasing Power of Earnings
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