Irish pay rises among highest in EU in 2008

IRISH workers had one of the highest real increases in pay last year in the EU despite the looming financial crisis, a study from the EU agency Eurofound shows.

When inflation was taken into account wages increased by almost 2% in 2007 and by 1.7% in 2008. Among the EU 15, only Greece experienced greater pay increases.

The average increase in the 15 old member states was just 0.3% in 2008, down from 1% in 2007.