2007 public-private pay gap was 48%

[Dreaded_Estate]

RTÉ Business: 2007 public-private pay gap was 48%

Figures from the Central Statistics Office show that, in October 2007, the average hourly earnings in the public sector were 47.6% higher than in the private sector.
The CSO's National Employment Survey for 2007 shows that workers earned an average of €20.07 an hour, with the average for men €21.17 and for women €18.91.
The survey showed that the average working week at the time was 34.4 hours - 38 for men and 30.7 for women.
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Average earnings per hour in the public sector were €26.67 compared with €18.07 per hour in the private sector. More than half (52.8%) of all public sector employees had third-level qualifications, compared with 31.9% in the private sector.
Average earnings per hour were highest in the education sector at €33.23, followed by the electricity, gas and water supply sector at €30.96. The lowest average hourly earnings were in the hotels and restaurants sector, at €12.93.
The CSO says educational qualifications had a strong influence on earnings, as employees who had a third level degree or higher tended to have higher earnings than other employees. The survey found that this difference increased with age.
Workers aged under 25 with a third level degree or higher qualification earned €17.57 per hour compared to those with a Leaving Certificate who earned €12.31 per hour. This gap had widened to €42.21 and €20.97 respectively for employees aged 50 to 60.
Average annual earnings were €37,726 in 2007 - €35,607 in basic pay and €2,120 in bonuses and other benefits.

<Mod> This thread has been merged with "Public pay now 50% higher". </Mod>

[seanmacc]

12 months ago we wouldn't of seen such a gap, just goes to how how quickly things change.

I wonder what the average industrial wage is now?

[constitutionus]

newstalk just covered this and it had some interesting figures. actually this is less than it was a few years ago.

it used to be 50%, which when adjusted for qualifications, was 20% in real terms.

now thats 18.odd%.

so if anything its coming down.

the shocking thing is though even at the height of the boom half the country was only earning 16k a year which is only 1k a year more than the last figures. so much for the high cost economy. its clear the real gouging was focused in very specific sectors which is why i maintain the PS wage is going to get slashed.

its not about my opinon of them or even what i think should be done, its whats going to happen as you cant live on a credit card and theres simply no justification for people earning 20% more at least than their equivilant in the private sector.

[patslatt]

newstalk just covered this and it had some interesting figures. actually this is less than it was a few years ago.

it used to be 50%, which when adjusted for qualifications, was 20% in real terms.

now thats 18.odd%.

so if anything its coming down.

the shocking thing is though even at the height of the boom half the country was only earning 16k a year which is only 1k a year more than the last figures. so much for the high cost economy. its clear the real gouging was focused in very specific sectors which is why i maintain the PS wage is going to get slashed.

its not about my opinon of them or even what i think should be done, its whats going to happen as you cant live on a credit card and theres simply no justification for people earning 20% more at least than their equivilant in the private sector.

There is no justification either for even the same pay as the private sector's,given the ps jobs for life security which is worth maybe 15% of pay plus the vastly superior gold plated pensions which,according to actuaries in the UCD Maths department,could be worth up to 30% of pay for higher earners. This indicates that the high paid ranks of the public sector are paid up to double the private sector pay.

[Harmonica]

Doesn't sound like pensions are included so gap would be even wider if they added.

Figures for 2009 would surely show a bigger gap even taking account of pension levy?

Education figures might be unreliable if taken purely on hourly basis.

[hammer]

This is the start of the race to the bottom.

This survey will be dragged up in every media interview and article to HAMMER the public service with 20% cuts in December 2009.

Sorry pension levies............

[toughbutfair]

Cut pay 20%
Abolish defined benefit pension
Get rid of the "job for life" aspect i.e. sack many

[Watcher1]

This education of the public sector being higher than that of the private sector argument ticks me off sometimes. Unless I am mistaken about what they mean, just because the public sector worker takes night classes and gets a cert, diploma etc, unless that qualification is directly related to their job and level, its a false argument.

[sharper]

This survey will be dragged up in every media interview and article to HAMMER the public service with 20% cuts in December 2009.

Yep it's well known that you can prove anything even remotely true with facts.

[hammer]

facts ? please see under HSE entry in dictionary

99 negative facts
1 positive fact

They will spin the 1 positive fact until the "cows come home".............