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Unemployment

LFS estimates were updated on 22nd Feb 2024 to incorporate updated population estimates for the period 2016 Q3 to 2023 Q3, based on the results of Census 2022. LFS results are updated in this way following each Census of Population. For further information see Background Notes.
The data in this publication does not reflect these updates. Please refer to the relevant tables on LFS Px-stat for updated LFS estimates.

Unemployment

The overall unemployment rate was 4.4% in Q2 2023, which is down from 4.5% in Q2 2022

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121,200
Persons aged 15-74 were unemployed in Q2 2023
with an associated unemployment rate of 4.4%
119,900 people were unemployed in Q2 2022 at a rate of 4.5%
Source: CSO Ireland, Labour Force Survey Quarter 2 2023

Numbers Unemployed and the Unemployment Rate

The number of persons aged 15-74 years who were unemployed increased by 1,300 (1.1%) to 121,200 in the year to Q2 2023, using standard International Labour Organisation (ILO) criteria. The unadjusted unemployment rate for persons aged 15-74 years decreased from 4.5% to 4.4% over the year to Q2 2023. See Table 2.1.

Figure 3.1 Number of unemployed persons aged 15-74 years, Quarter 2 2019 to Quarter 2 2023
3.0%
unemployment rate for females aged 35-44 in Q2 2023
down from 4.4% in Q2 2022
Source: CSO Ireland, Labour Force Survey Quarter 2 2023

Unemployment by sex

Unemployment increased by 3,200 (+5.1%) for males to 66,400 in the year to Q2 2023 – this compares with a fall of 1,900 (-3.4%) to 54,800 for females over the same period. The unemployment rate for males was 4.6% in Q2 2023 up from 4.5% a year earlier while the corresponding rates for females were 4.2% and 4.5% respectively.

Figure 3.2 Unemployment rate for those aged 15-74 years by sex, Quarter 2 1998 to Quarter 2 2023
Table 3.1 Persons aged 15 - 89 years classified by ILO Economic Status and Age Group

Youth Unemployment Rate

The unemployment rate for those aged 15-24 years, known as the Youth Unemployment Rate, stood at 12.2% in Q2 2023 up from 11.4% in Q2 2022. See Table 2.2

Figure 3.3 Unemployment rates for persons aged 15-24 years and 25-74 years, Quarter 2 1998 to Quarter 2 2023

Duration of Unemployment

72.5%* of unemployed persons in Q2 2023 were in short-term unemployment (less than one year). Over the year to Q2 2023, short-term unemployment rose by 1,200 (-1.4%) to 84,000 while there was an increase of 100 (+0.4%) in the numbers of long-term unemployed to 31,900. See Table 3.2.

*excluding ‘Not stated’ 

Figure 3.4 Number of unemployed persons aged 15-74 years classified by sex and unemployment duration, Quarter 2 2019 to Quarter 2 2023

The long-term unemployment rate over the year to Q2 2023 was unchanged at 1.2%. Over a quarter (27.5%)* of unemployed persons were in long-term unemployment in Q2 2023 which is slightly down from 27.7%*  a year earlier.  See Table 3.2.

*excluding ‘Not stated’

Figure 3.5 Long-term unemployment rate for persons aged 15-74 years, Quarter 2 1998 to Quarter 2 2023
Table 3.2 Persons aged 15-74 years classified by sex and duration of unemployment (ILO)

Unemployment by Region

On an annual basis, unemployment increased in all NUTS 3 regions with the exception of the South-West and Mid-East regions.

The largest decrease occurred in the Mid-East (-5,800). The largest increase in unemployment was in Dublin, which increased by 4,500. See Table 2.5.