Limerick workers' wages grew fastest in Ireland
The largest increase in median weekly earnings was observed in Limerick, where earnings increased by 7.4%, from €625.96 in 2021 to €672.34 in 2022. File picture: Denis Scannell
Average weekly earnings in Ireland increased by 4.1% to €670.90 last year, new data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows.
Based on figures from the Revenue, the CSO said gross weekly wages have risen by 20.5% over the five years from 2017 to 2022. The median weekly earnings for 2022 for males were €741.86 compared with €592.92 for females.
Workers in the Information & Communication sector had the highest weekly earnings at €1,272.45, followed by Financial, Insurance & Real Estate at €942.45. The sector with the lowest median weekly earnings was Accommodation & Food Services at €348.84.
Weekly earnings for people in Dublin were €757.03 last year, which was 12.8% higher than the median weekly earnings for the State, and 40.2% higher than Donegal which, at €540, had the lowest median weekly earnings.
Median Weekly Earnings up 4.1% in the year to 2022https://t.co/yaJHoUvNYw#CSOIreland #Ireland #Earnings #LabourCosts #LabourMarket #BusinessStatistics #Business #BusinessNews #IrishBusiness pic.twitter.com/pMcCPYyYJ1
— Central Statistics Office Ireland (@CSOIreland) October 10, 2023
Weekly earnings for Cork workers was €694.96, in Waterford was €632.42 and Kerry was €583.61.
The largest increase in median weekly earnings was observed in Limerick, where earnings increased by 7.4%, from €625.96 in 2021 to €672.34 in 2022. In contrast, median weekly earnings increased by 2.6% in Kilkenny, from €638.51 in 2021 to €655.13 in 2022.
Commenting on the data, Eimear Heffernan, Statistician in the Earnings Analysis Division, said a relatively small number of high earners result in a positively skewed earnings distribution of employees in Ireland. "In a positively skewed earnings distribution, mean earnings are greater than median earnings as the mean is increased by those higher earners," she said.
"In 2022, almost 65% of employments earned less than the mean, or average, weekly earnings of €856.21. Median weekly earnings in 2022 were €670.90 with half of all employments earning more than this amount and half earning less."
