The number of people employed in the banking and insurance sector dropped by 1,100 in the 12 months to December 2002.
According to data released today by the Central Statistics Office some 50,100 people were employed in banking building societies and insurance firms in December 2002.
Average weekly earnings grew by 2.1 per cent over the same period to €680, with increases of 1 per cent in the banking and building societies sector and pay rises of 4.5 per cent in the insurance sector.