Average weekly earnings rose by 1.4 per cent in the final three months of 2015, new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show.

Earnings increased from €702.61 to €712.75 over the year having fallen to €691.81 in the third quarter.

Increases in wages were recorded in 9 of the 13 sectors surveyed by CSO. The largest increases were in the administrative and support services category, up 9.9 per cent to €549.76 from €500.42. The biggest decline in weekly earnings was in the financial, insurance and real estate category, down 4.3 per cent from €1,076.12 to €1,029.58.

Over the last five years, average weekly earnings across individual sectors showed changes ranging between a 7 per cent decline in arts, entertainment, recreation and other services activities to a 14.9 per cent in admin and support services.

Hourly earnings

Average hourly earnings declined by 0.5 per cent from €22.04 to €21.94 in the year to the fourth quarter but were up from €21.46 in the preceding three months. The largest increase was recorded in admin and support services, up 3.5 per cent to €17.20 per hour. The largest decrease in hourly earnings was in the financial, insurance and real estate category, down 7.5 per cent to €28.83 from €31.17.

Enterprises with less than 50 employees showed an annual decrease of 0.4 per cent in average hourly earnings in the fourth quarter, from €18.30 to €18.23. Organisations with between 50 and 250 employees recorded an increase in average hourly earnings of 0.1 per cent, from €19.86 to €19.87 over the same period. Results for enterprises with greater than 250 employees showed an decrease of 0.9 per cent, from €25.38 to €25.14.

Over the year, private sector average hourly earnings fell 0.7 per cent from €20.20 to €20.06, while public sector average earnings decreased by 0.1 per cent, from €28.29 to €28.26.

The data show average weekly paid hours rose 1.9 per cent over the year to 32.5 from 31.9 a year in the same quarter in 2014.

Average hourly total labour costs stood at €25.45 in the final three months of 2015, a fall of 0.4 per cent or €25.55 for the fourth quarter a year earlier.

The job vacancy rate at the end of the year was 0.8 per cent, an increase from 0.7 per cent over the 12 months. The highest vacancy rate was recorded in the ICT sector, up of 2 per cent. This was followed closely by the financial, insurance and real estate sector with a vacancy rate of 1.8 per cent. The transportation and storage sector had the lowest vacancy rate at just 0.2 per cent.

The rounded number of job vacancies at the end of the fourth quarter was 13,800, representing a rise of 2,900 versus the same three months a year earlier and a decrease of 2,600 on the vacancies reported at the end of the preceding quarter.

The estimated number of persons employed in the public sector rose by 1.6 per cent over the year from 374,000 to 380,000. The largest increase in employees was recorded in the health sector, up 2.9 per cent from 118,600 to 122,000. The largest decrease was recorded in defence, which was down 3.1 per cent.

Over the last five years, overall employment numbers in the public sector declined by 24,100 or 6 per cent from 404,100 to 380,000, the figures show.

Industrial disputes

Related figures show the number of days lost to industrial disputes fell by 25 per cent last year.

Overall, there were 32,964 days lost to disputes during 2015, compared to 44,015 a year earlier.

Nine disputes involving 37,760 workers and nine firms were recorded in the 12 months, with three disputes in the education sector accounting for 73 per cent of the days lost in 2015. A year earlier there were 11 disputes reported involving 31,665 employees.

During the final three months of the year there were two disputes in progress involving 72 workers.