Migrant workers earn 40% less than Irish counterparts

Minister Roderic O'Gorman welcomed the report's publication,  and said the divide in the treatment of non-Irish nationals in relation to wages and working conditions 'needs to be addressed'. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins 

Migrants from eastern European countries working in Ireland earn an average of 40% less per hour than their Irish counterparts, according to latest research.

On the whole, non-Irish nationals working here earned around 22% less per hour than Irish nationals between 2011 and 2018, according to a new report undertaken by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) on behalf of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Workers from countries in the east of the EU — Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia — earned even less than this.

Among the main reasons for this, the report says, are social and demographic characteristics, such as education level, which influence the kinds of work that the migrants do, and firms where they work.

However, even when these factors are accounted for, eastern Europeans still earn roughly 20.5% less than Irish nationals.

For African nationals, the report found employment rates to be very low, with those in employment earning an average 14% less than Irish nationals per hour.

For workers from other regions such as Western Europe and Australia, the wage gap noted in the research was substantially smaller.

Migrant women suffer most 

The ESRI report, which was based upon Central Statistics Office (CSO) labour force survey earnings analysis, also found that Non-Irish women experience a double earnings penalty as a result of being both female and for being a migrant. Non-Irish women were found to earn 11% less than non-Irish men, who in turn earned 18% less than Irish men.

Overall, the ESRI says "a significant migrant wage gap" exists in Ireland, though this has narrowed somewhat in recent years.

The report also noted that, while Ireland does have robust anti-discrimination legislation, further targeted measures may be required, and that factors such as trade union membership and effective English language training could help address the issue.

"This study highlights how some non-Irish national groups are experiencing a wage penalty, in some cases a substantial one, and that this is persisting over time," said James Laurence, one of the report's co-authors.

Wages and working conditions are integral for migrants’ integration into Irish society. Work provides not only necessary income for living expenses but also provides a sense of well-being, social status, and the opportunity to develop social connections.

Mr Laurence also said that "greater efforts may be needed" to improve qualification recognition and awareness of the Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) system.

Minister Roderic O'Gorman welcomed the report's publication,  and said the divide in the treatment of non-Irish nationals in relation to wages and working conditions "needs to be addressed."