Weekly earnings in the arts, entertainment, recreation and other service activities sector are below the national average of €921.81. Struggling artists and arts workers who caught a glimpse of this week’s headlines noting that the biggest rise in earnings here in the fourth quarter of 2023 could be found in the arts sector might be a little confused by this apparent good news. Sadly, but not surprisingly, the “arts sector” is doing a lot of heavy lifting here, with the full title of the category stretching to “arts, entertainment, recreation and other service activities”. Workers in this broader “R-S” sector saw their average weekly earnings rise 9.8 per cent from €590.81 to €649 in the fourth quarter, according to preliminary estimates from the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The bad news is that weekly earnings for the “R-S” economic sector are a long way behind the €921.81 national average, with only accommodation and food services – a sector notoriously battling to retain staff – paying less.

Source: The Irish Times March 03, 2024 12:04 UTC