CSO figures show earnings rise

Figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show a rise in public sector earnings and new recruitment to State jobs in the year to March.

Average weekly earnings in the public sector, excluding health jobs, rose 7.4%. Almost 242,000 people worked in the public sector at the end of March, up from 239,000 the previous year. The CSO also said wages in the distribution and business services sector rose by 5.7% in the year to June. Workers earned an average of €617 per week.