AVERAGE annual earnings in Jersey have increased by 4.3 per cent to £31,200 in the past year, according to official figures.
But the increase is 0.4 per cent lower than in the previous 12 months, and the gap between pay rises and the increasing cost of living in Jersey has narrowed.
The figures, released yesterday by the States Statistics Unit, shows that average weekly earnings have increased from £580 per week in June last year to £600 per week this year.
But the increase in earnings was just 0.2 per cent higher than the RPI, which measures the rate of inflation, compared to 1.2 per cent higher in the previous year.
Dr Duncan Gibaut, pictured, head of the States Statistics Unit, said: ‘These figures are a reflection of a buoyant economy over the last few years – we have seen an increase in employment and earnings and strong growth in the economy.
‘The increase in average earnings is slightly lower than the increase in the year before, but it is in line with the average 4.2 per cent increase of the last five years.’
Article posted on 27th August, 2008 - 2.59pm
17 Article Comments
If that’s the average, who’s getting mine? I’m certainly not earning that!
Doesn’t this just show the frightening gap that’s opened in this Island? Thank you States Members, you must be proud of what you’ve created.
What an absolute lie.
Were these facts come from? Almost all catering and shop assistants get paid a miserable £ 5.80 hour and about 40 to 42.5 a week, and that’s about £250 week plus tax&GST.
This is a manufactured statistics base in imaginary figures:
(Jersey’s average earnings for full time workers are now £31,200. That is £600) - hahahahaaaaa
This is only the average because there are a few people on ridiculously high salaries which throw the figures out completely. I do not know many people at all on anywhere close to that figure. It is these figures that end up driving up prices and costing the vast majority of ‘non-average’ residents dearly!
that has to be states jobs who else earns thats amount ?
Another totally misleading representation of the actual wages paid to the working class, let’s have the statistics broken down into the various categories, states manual workers, states white collar workers, shop workers, i.t. workers etc, PLEASE STOP MISLEADING PEOPLE!!!!!
Average?
What about the low income figures, which, out-weigh these so called “average” earnings?
Jersey is a Sham!
I’d be fascinated to know where Dr Duncan Gibaut pulled his statistics from. With family member’s working in retail I can assure Dr. Gibaut the average shop floor worker earns distinctly less than what he claims is the average wage for those at the lowest end of the scale, agricultural workers, who apparently earn almost £400 a week!
With stupendously misleading official statistics such as this, is it any wonder that certain already out-of-touch individuals in Government believe the average member of the public has no struggle carrying the weight of a new tax such as GST?
If you take into consideration the high and low earners and take the average that is about correct, it is an average wage, so all of those people comenting above I suggest you go out and get yourself a better paid job if you’re not happy with the one you’re in now.
Both my husband and me started on minimum wage when we arrived on this island and through study and hard work and now both earning more than the estimated average in just a few years. This is without having 5 years residency that is required by a lot of higher paid jobs and no we don;t work for the States.
So if you’re not happy do something about it instead of complaining. It can be done!
I remember an interview on JSY radio with the President of the Camber of Commerce&Mike Pinel the PCC had a report that showed finance workers earn 50% more than the public sector in the UK. In Jsy the Public sector employees earn 3% more than Finance workers and that is without taking into account their overtime. In finance it is very very rare to get paid overtime. The PS workers also receive a 16% final salary pension which includes the overtime they have worked in the last year and in the Police and Fire service they can retire at 50 on a bigger pension than most people’s salary at 65. Only the States would pay a manual worker over £70,000 in a year. I have spoken to several ministers and they are all aware of the situation but have no intention of doing anything about it.
This has been very clearly explained on an informative blog at: http://tonymusings.blogspot.com/2008/08/average-nonsense.html
When they say ‘average’ they are using the mean rather than the median, unlike in the UK. If four of you earn 25 and I earn 200, they would say our average pay is 60 (300/5), instead of 25. Maybe you should ask for a raise to take you to the average?
It would also be fairer if the average pay was done in bands, as well as using the median. So there would be a median for a manual worker and one for a white collar executive and one for heads of companies. You might well then find that one band’s average pay had risen while another had gone down. After all, if you’re digging ditches, it doesn’t help you if the average pay for bank workers has risen.
From the complete report http://www.gov.je/NR/rdonlyres/CF65EB26-B44D-49E4-8592-08C168A08775/0/AEIRelease2008.pdf
Level of Earnings by Sector
The average weekly earnings for full-time equivalent (FTE) employees in Jersey in June 2008 was £600 per week4. Average earnings by sector ranged from £820 per week in Financial services and £800 in the Public sector to £340 per week in Hotels, restaurants & bars
So if your in the Finance Sector you earn about 2 and 1/2 times what someone in Catering does; and this doesn’t include the bonuses the Finance Sector get which we all know can be huge!!!
well dont know who is earning mine but can I have it back please as I could really really do with it as income support is naff ! cheers
wishfull thinking I am lucky if I get a pay rise with the way things are going and dont get me started on maintenance or lack of it and income support all I will say if WHAT SUPPORT ?
What what we need to see, to get a true picture, is what people earning a wage of say, £30K and below last year, are earning this year. On the whole, I think we would see that actually it’s been about the same for the last few years whilst prices have continually escalated.
It just goes to show that the States Statistics Unit are in the business of spin, not information.
If they wanted us to know what was going on, they would use they median. Instead, as it tells a more flattering story than the truth, they use the mean.
Dr. Gibaut keeps coming out with similar nonsense about population density, in which he concludes Jersey is not really crowded by diluting the figures for town with the empty farmland of the Northern parishes. As if an empty field in St Ouen will make anyone feel better about having a bedsit in Stopford Road.
Why does everyone go on so much about what we earn in the Finance Industry. I earn good money in Finance and whilst I believe that there are many more deserving people that should get paid much more eg nurses and teachers, I will not be made to feel guilty about the amount of money I am getting paid (which is well above the average being quoted). I don’t think many of you out there would refuse my salary if you were offered it !! I’m making the most of my ‘above average’ salary whilst I can. May I add that it is conveniently forgotton by those ‘anti-finance’ residents of Jersey that this island would not be so prosperous and affluent if it wasn’t for all the tax revenue that the island generates from the Finance Sector
Well I have worked in the finance sector for 7 years and I am still earning way below the apparent average wage. Finance is rubbish they treat you like something they have stood in. If I could get into another Job I would be out of there like a shot. It is probably the most boring job you could ever have!
Peter, you could offer me your wage but I would much rather choose happiness over money anyday. Please get off your high horse too the Island was much better off back in the 60’s/70’s when we still had our heritage and people believed in each other. Your comments make me sick!
TK2 - I’d rather NOT work in Finance either but I do and it is to late to change…..yes, for financial reasons. The island may have been better off years ago however we have to deal with the situation we now find ourselves in, not hark on about the old days. Sorry I made you sick. PS. I am happy. Sorry you arn’t.