Irish Financial, Insurance, Property Sector Earnings Up 17.6% to €1,688.13 by March
Average weekly earnings in Ireland’s financial, insurance, and property sectors increased by 17.6 per cent to €1,688.13 by March, according to CSO data. The information and communications sector remained the highest paid at €1,824.62. Despite a projected economic slowdown and weaker employment, only a slight rise in unemployment is expected.
Average weekly earnings in Ireland’s financial, insurance, and property sectors rose by 17.6 per cent to €1,688.13 in the 12 months to the end of March, according to preliminary Central Statistics Office (CSO) data. The industrial sector followed with a 13.1 per cent increase to €1,276.55 in Q1 2026.
The information and communications sector, including tech roles, remained the best-paid, with average weekly earnings increasing by 7.3 per cent to €1,824.62 by the end of March. Overall, average weekly earnings across the economy reached €1,074 in Q1, up 4.4 per cent year-on-year, surpassing the 3.6 per cent annual consumer price inflation rate. Average hourly earnings also rose by 4 per cent to €33.13.
Dr. Niall O’Sullivan of the CSO noted that earnings continue to increase due to factors like a stable job vacancy rate, which was 1.1 per cent in Q1, down from 1.2 per cent in Q1 2024. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects Ireland’s domestic economy to grow at half the 2025 rate, reflecting softer private consumption due to weaker employment, though only a slight increase in unemployment is forecast.