More than a 10th of employees in the island earn less than the living wage.

Figures released in the government’s latest annual earnings survey show that in 2018, 11.2% of employees earned less than the £8.61 per hour living wage (down from 14% in 2017).

The living wage was calculated and published by the economic affairs division in October 2017.

Last year, 3.4% of employees were on the minimum wage, down from 5% in 2017.

The earning survey shows that the median gross weekly pay of full-time employees in 2018 - i.e. the central point in the range and not the average - was £573.

This is up 2.6% on last year but in real terms there was no change in median full-time earnings between June 2017 and June last year.

The survey also shows a disparity in pay between the public and private sectors.

Median weekly earnings in the private sector were £541 but in the public sector the figureswas £639. Average weekly earnings in the private sector were £721 but in the public sector they were £730.

But the report notes: ’The public and private sectors have workforces which are composed quite differently. Consequently, differences in weekly earnings do not reveal differences in rates of pay for comparable jobs.

’For example, many of the lowest paid occupations, such as bar and restaurant staff, hairdressers, elementary sales occupations and cashiers, exist primarily in the private sector.’

Overall, median earnings for all employees were 4.0% higher than the UK.

Average gross weekly earnings were £724 a week (£551 for manual workers and £805 for non-manual).

Some 66% of a randomly selected sample worked full time, 18% worked part time and 15% had zero contracted hours.