The premiums earned by public sector workers over their private sector counterparts narrowed between 2007 and 2010, according to new analysis from the Central Statistics Office.

The new study attempts to compare similar jobs in both sectors.

While average pay rates in the public sector are 50 per cent higher than those of the private sector, such direct comparisons do not take all factors into account the CSO said.

The study finds that public sector employees were paid 6-19 per cent more than their equivalents in the private sector in 2010. In 2007, the premium range was 10-26 per cent.

The public sector pay premium was greatest for those on lower incomes and for women.

The CSO gave ranges of figures based on different methods of calculating the pay gap and was at pains to point out the inherent difficulties in comparing pay rates in the two sectors.

“The range of estimates provided reflect the fact that there is no unanimity in the international literature regarding the most appropriate model/parameters to use.”