ESRI researcher Dr Paul Redmond addresses the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment
On 10 July 2024, ESRI researcher Dr Paul Redmond addressed the Oireachtas Joint Committee on on Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
Dr Redmond cited ESRI research into sub-minimum wages in Ireland. It found that the incidence of sub-minimum wage employment in Ireland is low. It estimated that just 1 in every 140 employees in Ireland are paid a sub-minimum youth rate. This is equivalent to approximately 15,000 workers. Furthermore, while all employees aged 15-19 could legally be paid a sub-minimum wage rate, the vast majority are on a higher rate of pay.
Regarding the characteristics of employees in receipt of sub-minimum youth rates, it found that just over half were women, while the vast majority (almost 80 percent) work in either the accommodation & food or retail sectors. Approximately one quarter work in small firms consisting of less than ten employees, while 80 percent are students.
Read the opening statement here.
Watch the proceedings below. Their segment begins at 00:44:31.