Immigrants earn far less than Irish workers

NEWCOMERS to Ireland were earning significantly less than Irish citizens last year, according to figures released yesterday.

Researchers found Irish people earned the highest hourly rates at €19.86 an hour, while immigrants from eastern Europe earned on average the lowest at €11.52 an hour, which is €8.34 or 42% less.

The rates, compiled by the Central Statistics Office, were based on research carried out 21 months ago in March 2006.

At the time of the poll, the CSO found foreigners earned between 77% and 86% of the wage of Irish citizens in all jobs apart from the retail sector where pay was broadly similar.

Average earnings across all jobs for all workers came to €19.47 but men earned €20.59 an hour and women €18.22.

However, the difference was partly explained by the length of the average working week. Men worked 38 hours and 24 minutes a week on average and women 30 hours 54 minutes, indicating more males than females were in full-time jobs and more women worked part-time.

Full-time workers earned a better hourly rate at €20.74 compared with €13.89 for part-time workers, a possible reason why men earn more than women at work.

In all jobs men had higher hourly pay than women, with the widest gap in pay in education and health where females earned between 68% and 71% of male earnings. The narrowest gap was in the hotel and restaurant trade. In terms of overall pay packets for a working week, women in sales saw the widest pay differences as they earned 75% of the male salary.

At the time of the survey the highest paid workers were in the education field and were paid €32.27 an hour. The lowest hourly rate could be found in the hotels and restaurants trade where rates were €11.96, 37% of the rate of top-earners.

Public sector workers were on €26.08 a hour on average, which worked out at 49% above the typical rate of €17.48 for workers in the private sector. Between March 2003, and March 2006, public sector wages increased by 24% and pay in private firms rose by 16.3%.

The CSO also found the difference between men’s and women’s pay has narrowed, with females now earning on average 88.5% of the male pay packet compared to 84.2% in 2003.