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Average hourly earnings up 6.2% in Q4 last year

Average weekly earnings across the economy were €979.71 in Q4 2024, up 5.6% from €927.98 in Q4 2023, CSO data shows.

Average hourly earnings for all sectors rose by 6.2% to €30.21 in Q4, from €28.44 in Q4 the previous year.

Average weekly paid hours were 32.4 in Q4 – down by 0.6% from the Q4 2023 hours of 32.6.

Vacancy rate

The job vacancy rate at the end of Q4 2024 was 1.1% – slightly lower than the 1.2% recorded at the end of Q4 2023 and 1.2% at the end of Q3 2024.

Average hourly other labour costs in all categories grew by 5.8% to €5.31 in Q4, from €5.02 in Q4 2023.

The highest averages for hourly total labour costs in Q4 were €59.77 in information and communication, and €48.65 in education.

The figure for the professional, scientific, and technical activities sector – which includes the legal profession – was €35.10.

The public-administration and defence sector had the highest job vacancy rate at 3.4% in Q4, followed by 2% in the professional, scientific. and technical activities sector.