Gardaí eclipsed IT professionals as best paid workers in State, CSO figures show

Figures show gardaí enjoyed average weekly earnings, including overtime and bonuses, of €1,579.28 in the third quarter

Members of An Garda Síochána were the best paid employees in the State in the third quarter, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The agency’s latest earnings data show gardaí enjoyed average weekly earnings, including overtime and bonuses, of €1,579.28 between July and September this year.

This was higher than workers in the information and communication sector, traditionally the best paid sector of the economy, whose average weekly earnings were €1,525.19.

Garda pay rose by 16 per cent or by €218.15 on an annual basis.

The increase was said to reflect back pay awarded under the latest public sector wage agreement implemented in October last year, which gave public servants a 3 per cent salary hike. The deal was, however, backdated to February 2022.

The figures show average weekly earnings grew by 6.3 per cent across the public sector in the year to quarter three, rising from €1,058.98 to €1,125.92.

An Garda Síochána had the highest average weekly earnings while the highest average hourly earnings in this period were €46.89 in the education sector.

Average weekly earnings across the economy rose – on annual basis – by 4.6 per cent to stand €907.72 in the quarter, the figures show. This was up from €867.63 between July and the end of September last year.

The findings suggest that while wage growth is strong, it is not rising at an alarming rate on the back of wider inflationary pressures. Average hourly earnings did, however, jump 6.2 per cent to €27.82 in the third quarter.

European Central Bank policymakers fear that if workers, particularly in the services sector, demand higher and higher wages to compensate for inflation then price growth could be harder to bring down.

The CSO data show average weekly earnings increased across 12 out of 13 sectors. The largest annual percentage increase in average weekly earnings in the private sector was 10.6 per cent in the arts, entertainment, recreation and other service activities sector.

The best paid workers in the private sector were once again those in the information and communication sector, whose earnings were up over 2 per cent year-on-year but down 1.9 per cent on a quarterly basis.

Workers in the accommodation and food services sector were the worst paid, with average weekly earnings of €440.23, but the sector includes many part-time staff.

Reporting On: www.irishtimes.com