Average weekly earnings were €723.08 in Ireland during the first quarter of 2017, according to the Central Statistic Office (CSO).

That's 1.4% higher than last year, the preliminary estimates of the Earnings and Labour Costs Quarterly Report states.

Average hourly pay increased by 0.7% between the first quarter of 2017 and 12 months earlier - rising to €22.68.

Ireland's average weekly paid hours were 31.9 hours during the period - that was an increase of 0.6%.

The job vacancy rate at the end of the quarter was 1.0% - which was the same as the corresponding period in 2016.

19,300 jobs were created in Ireland during the first three months of 2017.

The total number of people employed rose by 3.5%, or 68,000, during the 12 week period. It was the 19th consecutive quarter of expansion.

The total number of people in the labour force at the end of the first quarter of 2017 was 2,191,400.