Weekly earnings in Ireland up by 3.9%, figures show

Average weekly earnings in Ireland were up 3.9% in the 12 months to April 2026, according to figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The CSO say that average weekly earnings in Quarter 2 2026 were €1,046.88, up 3.9% from Quarter 2 of 2025.

When it came to hourly earnings, these rose by 3.8% to €31.96 in Quarter 2 2026, up from €30.79 in Quarter 2 2025. The average weekly hours of work were 32.8 in Quarter 2026; this is up from 0.3% in Quarter 2 2025 at 32.7 hours.

The average hourly labour costs in Ireland rose by 5.7% to €5.77 in Quarter 2 2026, up from €5.46 in Quarter 2 2025.

When it came to the highest averages for hourly labour costs in sectors, the highest in Q2 2026 was Information and Communications at €61.40, Financial, Insurance and Real Estate Activities at €53.79, and finally €49.51 in Education.

When it came to job vacancy rates, the highest rate was in Public Administration and Defence, and this had a vacancy rate of 3.9% in Q2. This is followed by 2.6% in the Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities sector.

Dr Niall O’Sullivan at the Central Statistics Office said: “Average earnings in the economy continue to increase year-on-year, and preliminary estimates for April, May, and June (Q2) 2026 show average weekly earnings were €1,046.88, up 3.9% compared with €1,007.58 in Q2 2025. Over the same period, the Consumer Price Index increased by 3.6%.

Average weekly earnings rose across 12 of the 13 economic sectors in the year to Q2 2026. The largest annual percentage increase in average weekly earnings in Q2 2026 was 7.7% in the Accommodation & Food Service Activities sector, followed by a rise of 5.6% in the Administrative & Support Service Activities sector.

Average hourly earnings grew on an annual basis by 3.8% to €31.96, increasing in all 13 economic sectors, while average weekly paid hours increased by 0.3% from 32.7 in Q2 2025 to 32.8 in Q2 2026. Average hourly other labour costs increased by 5.7% across all economic sectors to €5.77 in Q2 2026 from €5.46 in Q2 2025, while average hourly total labour costs increased by 4.1% to €37.73 in the same period.

“The sector with the highest average hourly total labour costs in Q2 2026 was Information & Communication at €61.40. The lowest average total labour costs were in the Accommodation & Food Service Activities sector, which recorded a rate of €20.27. The job vacancy rate in Q2 2026, which measures job vacancies on the last working day of the quarter, was 1.3%, unchanged from Q2 2025, and up 0.1% from the rate recorded at the end of Q1 2026.”