Public sector employment down 8,200 in year

A total of 360,900 people were employed in the public sector in September 2009. This compares with September 2008, when the figure stood at 369,100 in September 2008, a decrease of 8,200.

In the year to September 2009 employment in regional bodies fell from 40,400 to 37,000, representing a decrease of 3,400 employees.

In the same annual period, there were 1,200 fewer people employed in the civil service, with the figure dropping to 38,100 in September 2009.

Employment in the health sector fell to 110,200 in the year to September 2009, representing a drop of 600 employees.

Employment in An Garda Síochána, however, rose by 500 from 14,200 in September 2008 to 14,700 inSeptember 2009.

Excluding health, average weekly earnings in the public sector rose by 2.5pc in the year to September 2009 from €945.18 to €969.11 per week. Weekly earnings for the regional bodies rose by 4.6pc, from €815.58 to €852.71, while weekly earnings for the education sector by 3pc, from €944.49 to €973.10.

Inclusive of overtime, average weekly earnings for An Garda Síochána fell by 0.8pc from €1,196.19 to €1,186.37 per week.

Over the four-year period, from September 2005 to September 2009, average weekly earnings in the public sector (excluding health) rose by 14.2pc from €848.94 to €969.11.

In that period, regional bodies’ earnings rose by 15.3pc, from €739.27 to €852.71, semi-state bodies rose by 17.2pc, from €902.95 to €1,058.46, while the earnings for An Garda Síochána, inclusive of overtime, rose by 8.8pc.

Earnings for the education sector rose by 11.5pc in this period, while earnings for the civil service and the defence sector rose by circa 18pc, from €797.37 to €933.03 and from €691.28 to €815.58 per week respectively.