Northern Ireland has the biggest wages increase in the UK

New statistic released by Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) shows that the average weekly earnings in Northern Ireland in April 2018 were £521, an increase of 4.2% from £500 in 2017.

Northern Ireland and the West Midlands experienced the biggest increase across the 12 regions in the UK.

When adjusted for inflation, weekly earnings in Northern Ireland increased by 2%, following a decrease in real earnings last year.

The median annual earnings for full-time workers in Northern Ireland was £27,006, lower than the UK median of £29,574.

The highest 10% of workers in Northern Ireland were paid around £48,941 a year.

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK where woman are paid more than men, with full-time female workers earning £12.94, 3.5% more than those for full-time male workers of £12.50. While in the UK as a whole, women earned 8.6% less per hour than men.

The gender pay gap in Northern Ireland is driven by a larger proportion of full-time females than males working in higher-paid occupations, and in the public sector.

When all employees, both full-time and part-time, are considered, the gender pay gap is reversed, and males earn more on average than females. This is because a great proportion of women than men are in part-time work, where the average pay is lower.

Private sector weekly earnings in Northern Ireland increased by 4.5% over the year, while public sector weekly earnings decreased by 0.3%.

Private sector weekly earnings (£465) were 25% lower than public sector earnings (£621).

Read the Annual Survey of Hours and Wages on the NISRA Website