The bar graph above shows average earnings in the Republic of Ireland in 5 different years, with projections for the future. Earnings are in US dollars ($). Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The bar chart illustrates the average salary in the Republic of Ireland in 5 years with a predicted value for 2018. The unit of currency is in United States dollars.

Overall

, it can be clearly seen that incomes consistently increased in every recorded time period, except in 2008, when they decreased slightly. Salaries are expected to increase significantly in the future. Average earnings in 1968 stood at their lowest recorded levels at just under $8,000, and they

then

increased a decade later to around $10,000 in 1978.

This

trend continued in 1988, with the average income climbing to approximately $13,000. Ten years later, in 1998, it

further

improved to its highest recorded value of about $15,000. The only notable exception to

this

expansion in pay levels was in 2008

,

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when wages decreased by around $1,000 from the peak of 1998.

However

,

this

trend is not expected to continue in the time to come, with projections of over $20,000 forecast for 2018.