Average weekly earnings rose by 2.7 per cent in the year to the end of September, increasing from €670.53 to €688.80, new figures show.

Revised figures issued by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) for the second quarter meanwhile show average weekly earnings were €698.09, up 1.9 per cent year-on-year.

The data show average hourly earnings reached €21.46 in the third quarter, up 2.1 per cent from the €21.02 recorded for the same three-month period a year earlier.

Average hourly total labour costs meanwhile stood at €24.77 in the period July to September, up 2.3 per cent from the €24.22 reported for the third quarter of 2014.

Weekly earnings in the private sector rose 3.6 per cent from €604.50 to €626.07 in the year to the end of September, the figures show.

Increases in earnings were reported in 11 of the 13 sectors covered by CSO in the year with the largest percentage rise recorded in the administrative and support services sector, where wages rose 7.6 per cent from €474.85 to €510.76. The construction sector experienced the larges decrease with wages falling 1.2 per cent form €707.36 to €698.64.

In the five years to the third quarter, overall average hourly earnings decreased by 0.8 per cent, according to CSO.