Average weekly earnings increased by 3.7% during pandemic, says hesitant CSO 

There were also significant changes in employment in certain sectors, as well as a marked lack of data available from a number of industries.

The near-4% annual increase in average earnings has been influenced by the removal of some below-average-paid jobs from the workforce.

The average weekly earnings of Irish workers increased by nearly 4% on an annual basis in the third quarter of the year, according to preliminary estimates from the CSO.

However, the increase was masked by Covid impacts such as a number of workers on below-average pay switching to the pandemic unemployment payment and the introduction of the Government's wage subsidy schemes.