Wage rates are growing at a pace last experienced during the days of the Celtic Tiger, according to the latest figures.

Today’s report by the Central Statistics Office found that hourly earnings have risen by 4pc over the past year to a national average of €23.53, while weekly earnings are 3.4pc higher at €768.14.

“Wage pressures continue to build in Ireland on the back of tight labour market conditions,” said Dermot O’Leary, chief economist at Goodbody Stockbrokers, who noted that the increases were the fastest since the CSO began compiling these figures in 2008, the year the Celtic Tiger economy came crashing down.

Mr O’Leary said recent confirmation that Ireland’s workforce had reached a record high of 2.3 million, while unemployment has fallen to a post-crash low of 4.8pc, were both imposing “further upward pressure on wage rates in Ireland”.

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While all 13 sectors of the work force experienced pay increases over the past year, administrative and support services saw the greatest gains of 7.2pc to an average of €616.44. The second-fastest gain was recorded by the information and communication sector, up by 6.8pc to €1,255.49.

Public sector workers continue to be paid substantially more than their private-sector counterparts, but the gap is narrowing.

Wages in the public sector rose by 1.3pc to €29.81 hourly and €972.45 weekly, while the private sector saw a 4.7pc increase in hourly wages to €21.69 and a 3.9pc rise in weekly earnings to €708.24.

Educators recorded the highest hourly wage of €37.14, reflecting their relatively low working hours, followed by information and communication workers on €33.82.  People working in accommodation and food services were paid the worst – just €13.54 an hour.

The bigger the employer, the bigger the payslip. Firms with fewer than 50 employees saw hourly wages rise 3.7pc to €19.52. Firms employing 50 to 250 raised pay by 4.4pc to €21.29 per hour. Pay at larger employers rose by 3.6pc to €26.79 per hour.

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