DUBLIN, June 30 (Xinhua) -- The average annual earnings in Ireland stood at 37,646 euros (43,970 U.S. dollars) in 2017, up 2 percent compared with 2016, according to the latest statistics released by the Irish national statistics bureau CSO.

Average annual earnings refer to the total earnings made each year by an employee in Ireland whether he or she is a full-time employee, or a part-time employee, or an apprentice, or a trainee.

The total earnings include regular salaries, payments for overtime work and irregular earnings such as bonus.

In 2017, the average annual earnings for full-time employees in Ireland were 46,402 euros, up 1.7 percent over 2016, while the average for part-time employees were 17,059 euros, up 3.2 percent year-on-year, said the CSO.

According to the CSO statistics, people working in the information and communication sector were the best paid in 2017 with the average annual earnings reaching 56,757 euros, followed by people in the financial, insurance and real estate sector (55,634 euros) and those in the public administration and defense sector (48,907 euros).

People working in the accommodation and food services sector were the least paid with the 2017 average annual earnings standing at 17,607 euros, followed by employees in the sector of arts, entertainment, recreation and other service activities (24,563 euros) and those in the administrative and support services sector (28,490 euros).

The sector of arts and entertainment was the only sector that witnessed a drop of 0.1 percent in average annual earnings in 2017, said the CSO.

People working in the education sector as well as the human health and social work sector suffered a drop in their average annual earnings when compared with five years ago.