Ireland Employment & Unemployment
Labour force participation and unemployment trends — CSO
Unemployment (2025)
4.1%
near record low
People Employed
2,600,000
Q4 2025 estimate
Labour Force
2,713,000
including self-employed
Youth Unemployment
8.7%
under-25s (ILO)
UnemploymentYouth (<25)
Unemployment peaked at 15.3% in 2011 during the financial crisis, fell to a pre-pandemic low of 4.9% in 2019, ticked back up during Covid, and now stands at 4.1% — among the lowest rates on record. Youth unemployment data (available from 2020) has improved even faster over that window. Source: CSO; 2018–2019 World Bank/ILO modelled estimate.
Data sourced from CSO, DHLGH, HSE, NTPF, RTB, CRU, SEAI, An Garda Síochána & Eurostat. Figures may include provisional 2025 estimates.