CSO figures - All in society must play their part

Figures published by the Central Statistics Office highlight great disparities between the public and private sectors in relation to both pay and employment.

The average public servant is currently being paid €50,598 per annum, whereas counterparts in the private sector are earning €40,500, and the average industrial wage is currently €34,000.

The latest figures mean that the average employee in the public sector is earning 25% more than his or her counterpart in the private sector, and over 48% more than the average industrial wage. Whereas 113,000 jobs were lost in the private sector in the 12 months to March 2009, employment in the public sector increased by 2,900 in the same period.