Public sector employment and earnings have risen in the first quarter of this year compared to the same quarter in 2007, figures published today show.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures reveal that overall employment in the public sector was 368,300 in March 2008, an increase of 6,300 compared with March the previous year.
Excluding health, there were 258,000 people in the public sector at the end of the first quarter this year; in March 2007 the comparative figure was 251,700.
Employment in health showed a slight fall from 110,400 in March 2007 to 110,300 in March 2008.
Employment in education increased from 97,700 to 101,400, a rise of 3,700, by the end of the first quarter this year.
The CSO statistics also show that average weekly earnings in the public sector, excluding health, increased by 3.6 per cent in the year to March 2008.
In March this year, the average weekly pay for employees in the public sector was €941, compared to €908 for March the previous year.
Average weekly earnings had increased by 4.2 per cent in the year to December 2007.
Responding to the figures, the Impact trade union said CSO figures showed public pay increases were still smaller than those in the private sector.
In a statement, the State's largest public and services trade union said the most recent available CSO figures for other sectors reveal that average public service pay is increasing slower than average earnings in the industrial, financial, and construction sectors.
Impact spokesman Bernard Harbor said: "Average public sector pay increases are now consistently and substantially lower than increases in average industrial earnings and are falling even further behind wage movements in sectors like business and finance which have a more comparable mix of qualified, professional and technical staff."
