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Labour Force Survey Quarter 4 2023

Employment

Employment up 40,500 (2.9%) for males and 49,200 (4.0%) for females in the year to Q4 2023

Online ISSN: 2565-5728

CSO statistical publication, 22 February 2024, 11am

74.0%

employment rate in Q4 2023

up from 73.3% 12 months earlier

Source: CSO Ireland, Labour Force Survey Quarter 4 2023

Numbers Employed

Using standard International Labour Organisation (ILO) criteria, an estimated 2,706,400 persons were in employment in Q4 2023, up 3.4% (89,600) from 2,616,700 in Q4 2022.

The increase of 89,600 (+3.4%) in employment is composed of increases of 40,500 (+2.9%) for males and 49,200 (+4.0%) for females in the year to Q4 2023. See Table 2.1.

See Monthly Estimates of Payroll Employees using Administrative Data Sources outputs for employment estimates based on administrative data for employees.

Table 2.1 Persons aged 15 years and over classified by Sex and ILO Economic Status

Table 2.1 Persons aged 15 years and over classified by sex and ILO Economic Status
'000
ILO Economic Status		Q4 21	Q3 22	Q4 22	Q1 23	Q2 23	Q3 23	Q4 23
Males
In labour force (Persons aged 15-89)		1,423.1	1,460.3	1,451.0	1,473.2	1,475.4	1,495.2	1,493.9
In employment (Persons aged 15-89)		1,353.7	1,400.2	1,393.3	1,410.3	1,408.5	1,426.4	1,433.8
full-time		1,174.9	1,222.9	1,216.5	1,228.4	1,238.6	1,246.3	1,235.8
part-time		178.8	177.2	176.9	181.9	170.0	180.0	198.0
of which:	part-time, not underemployed	137.6	135.7	138.1	141.1	120.0	131.0	141.9
	part-time, underemployed	41.2	41.5	38.8	40.9	50.0	49.0	56.1
Unemployed (Persons aged 15-74)		69.4	60.2	57.7	62.9	66.8	68.8	60.1
seeking full-time work/future job-starter		58.1	46.4	48.6	49.1	52.9	51.8	46.9
seeking part-time work		9.3	11.4	[7.1]	11.6	12.2	14.6	11.4
seeking work as self-employed		*	*	*	*	*	*	*
Not in labour force (Persons aged 15+)		596.8	598.7	617.6	610.5	614.2	606.9	621.7
Potential additional labour force		50.1	35.4	27.6	32.2	49.4	42.3	47.8
Others		546.7	563.3	590.1	578.4	564.9	564.6	573.8
Total males aged 15 or over		2,019.9	2,059.0	2,068.6	2,083.7	2,089.6	2,102.1	2,115.5
Unemployment rate % (Persons aged 15-74)		4.9	4.2	4.0	4.3	4.6	4.6	4.1
Participation rate % (Persons aged 15+)		70.5	70.9	70.1	70.7	70.6	71.1	70.6

Females
In labour force (Persons aged 15-89)		1,258.3	1,262.7	1,278.3	1,290.8	1,329.5	1,330.9	1,330.2
In employment (Persons aged 15-89)		1,197.7	1,202.4	1,223.4	1,242.4	1,274.1	1,269.9	1,272.6
full-time		818.5	836.4	839.0	853.5	879.1	868.0	878.2
part-time		379.2	366.0	384.4	388.8	395.1	401.9	394.4
of which:	part-time, not underemployed	309.1	297.3	320.2	317.4	305.0	318.9	310.7
	part-time, underemployed	70.1	68.7	64.2	71.5	90.1	82.9	83.6
Unemployed (Persons aged 15-74)		60.7	60.3	54.9	48.4	55.3	61.1	57.6
seeking full-time work/future job-starter		34.0	35.7	34.1	32.4	32.8	37.9	29.3
seeking part-time work		24.8	23.1	18.2	13.6	21.6	22.9	25.4
seeking work as self-employed		*	*	*	*	*	*	*
Not in labour force (Persons aged 15+)		834.0	879.6	875.2	877.5	850.9	857.7	872.9
Potential additional labour force		54.9	39.2	33.4	47.7	50.7	49.3	57.9
Others		779.1	840.4	841.7	829.7	800.1	808.4	815.0
Total females aged 15 or over		2,092.3	2,142.3	2,153.5	2,168.2	2,180.3	2,188.6	2,203.0
Unemployment rate % (Persons aged 15-74)		4.8	4.8	4.3	3.8	4.2	4.6	4.3
Participation rate % (Persons aged 15+)		60.1	58.9	59.4	59.5	61.0	60.8	60.4

All persons
In labour force (Persons aged 15-89)		2,681.5	2,723.0	2,729.4	2,764.0	2,804.9	2,826.2	2,824.1
In employment (Persons aged 15-89)		2,551.4	2,602.6	2,616.7	2,652.7	2,682.7	2,696.2	2,706.4
full-time		1,993.4	2,059.3	2,055.4	2,081.9	2,117.6	2,114.3	2,114.0
part-time		558.0	543.2	561.3	570.8	565.1	581.9	592.4
of which:	part-time, not underemployed	446.7	433.0	458.3	458.4	425.0	449.9	452.6
	part-time, underemployed	111.3	110.2	103.0	112.4	140.0	132.0	139.8
Unemployed (Persons aged 15-74)		130.1	120.5	112.6	111.3	122.2	129.9	117.7
seeking full-time work/future job-starter		92.1	82.1	82.7	81.5	85.7	89.6	76.2
seeking part-time work		34.0	34.4	25.3	25.1	33.8	37.5	36.8
seeking work as self-employed		*	*	*	*	*	*	*
Not in labour force (Persons aged 15+)		1,430.8	1,478.3	1,492.8	1,488.0	1,465.1	1,464.6	1,494.5
Potential additional labour force		105.0	74.7	61.0	79.9	100.1	91.6	105.7
Others		1,325.8	1,403.6	1,431.8	1,408.1	1,365.0	1,373.0	1,388.8
Total persons aged 15 or over		4,112.2	4,201.3	4,222.1	4,252.0	4,270.0	4,290.7	4,318.6
Unemployment rate % (Persons aged 15-74)		4.9	4.4	4.1	4.0	4.4	4.6	4.2
Participation rate % (Persons aged 15+)		65.2	64.8	64.6	65.0	65.7	65.9	65.4

Employment rate % (Persons aged 15-64)
Male		77.0	78.9	78.1	78.2	78.0	78.5	78.3
Female		69.1	67.8	68.6	69.3	70.6	70.0	69.8
Total persons		73.0	73.3	73.3	73.7	74.2	74.2	74.0
¹Estimates for number of persons, where there are less than 30 persons in a cell, are too small to be considered reliable. These estimates are presented with an asterisk (*) in the relevant tables. Where there are 30-49 persons in a cell, estimates are considered to have a wider margin of error and should be treated with caution. These cells are presented with parentheses []. In the case of rates, these limits apply to the denominator used in generating the rate. In the case of annual changes, both the current year and the preceding year are taken into account when deciding whether the estimate should be suppressed or flagged as having a wider margin of error.
²Data in this table incorporates updated population estimates based on the results of Census 2022. For further information see Background Notes.

Open in Excel: Labour Force Survey Quarter 4 2023 Table 2.1 (XLS 44KB)

48.5%

Youth employment rate in Q4 2023

this means that almost half of those aged 15-24 were in employment in the quarter

up from 46.4% a year earlier

Source: CSO Ireland, Labour Force Survey Quarter 4 2023

Employment Rates

The employment rate for those aged 15-64 was 74.0% in Q4 2023 compared to 73.3% in Q4 2022 and 73.0% in Q4 2021. In Q4 2023, the employment rate for males aged 15-64 years was 78.3%, compared to 69.8% for females.

Looking at the rates by age group, the employment rate was lowest among those aged 15-19 years (28.1%) and highest among those aged 35-44 years (84.0%). The rate of youth employment, those aged 15-24, stood at 48.5%; slightly higher for females (49.2%) than for males (47.9%). See Tables 2.1 and 2.2.

Table 2.2 Persons aged 15 years and over classified by key Economic Rates, Sex and Age Group

Table 2.2 Persons aged 15-89 years classified by ILO economic status, sex, age group and quarter
'000
		Employment rate (15-64)			Unemployment rate (15-74)			Participation rate (15+)
		Q4 21	Q4 22	Q4 23	Q4 21	Q4 22	Q4 23	Q4 21	Q4 22	Q4 23
Males
	15-19	25.3	25.3	27.1	14.8	10.8	12.7	29.7	28.3	31.0
	20-24	67.6	68.7	71.1	9.1	8.9	7.4	74.4	75.4	76.7
	Total 15-24 (Youths)	45.7	45.9	47.9	10.8	9.5	9.0	51.3	50.7	52.6
	25-34	88.0	85.8	87.8	5.7	5.4	5.9	93.3	90.7	93.3
	35-44	89.1	91.3	89.5	3.9	2.7	3.4	92.7	93.8	92.6
	45-54	86.5	88.6	89.3	3.3	2.6	1.4	89.5	91.0	90.5
	55-59	81.9	80.8	79.5	3.4	3.3	3.4	84.8	83.5	82.3
	60-64	62.4	70.0	69.9	5.2	2.7	4.0	65.8	71.9	72.9
	65-74	:	:	:	1.8	1.5	0.7	30.5	26.9	29.3
	75+	:	:	:	:	:	:	8.1	7.6	9.4
	Total males	77.0	78.1	78.3	4.9	4.0	4.1	70.5	70.1	70.6

Females
	15-19	30.6	29.1	29.3	14.6	12.4	14.1	35.9	33.2	34.1
	20-24	69.4	66.0	71.1	7.2	6.9	7.6	74.8	70.9	77.0
	Total 15-24 (Youths)	49.3	46.9	49.2	9.7	8.7	9.7	54.6	51.3	54.5
	25-34	81.0	79.1	79.8	3.4	4.0	4.1	83.8	82.4	83.2
	35-44	77.3	77.3	79.0	4.3	3.9	3.5	80.7	80.5	81.8
	45-54	74.1	75.7	77.8	4.0	3.1	3.1	77.2	78.2	80.3
	55-59	68.6	67.5	65.3	4.2	3.9	3.7	71.6	70.3	67.8
	60-64	49.5	50.6	51.6	6.1	3.2	4.1	52.7	52.2	53.8
	65-74	:	:	:	2.5	2.5	0.4	13.3	13.4	14.2
	75+	:	:	:	:	:	:	1.6	1.8	1.8
	Total females	69.1	68.6	69.8	4.8	4.3	4.3	60.1	59.4	60.4

All persons
	15-19	27.9	27.1	28.1	14.7	11.7	13.4	32.7	30.7	32.5
	20-24	68.5	67.4	71.1	8.2	7.9	7.5	74.6	73.2	76.9
	Total 15-24 (Youths)	47.5	46.4	48.5	10.2	9.1	9.4	52.9	51.0	53.5
	25-34	84.4	82.4	83.8	4.6	4.7	5.0	88.5	86.5	88.2
	35-44	83.0	84.0	84.0	4.1	3.3	3.4	86.6	86.9	87.0
	45-54	80.3	82.1	83.5	3.7	2.9	2.2	83.3	84.6	85.4
	55-59	75.2	74.1	72.3	3.8	3.6	3.5	78.1	76.8	75.0
	60-64	55.9	60.1	60.6	5.6	2.9	4.1	59.2	61.9	63.1
	65-74	:	:	:	2.0	1.9	0.6	21.8	20.0	21.6
	75+	:	:	:	:	:	:	4.5	4.4	5.2
	Total persons	73.0	73.3	74.0	4.9	4.1	4.2	65.2	64.6	65.4
¹ : Not applicable
²Data in this table incorporates updated population estimates based on the results of Census 2022. For further information see Background Notes.

Open in Excel: Labour Force Survey Quarter 4 2023 Table 2.2 (XLS 43KB)

Economic Sector

The economic sectors that saw the largest % year-on-year growth in Q4 2023 were the:

Education sector, which increased by 25,500 or 12.2%
Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing sector, which increased by 9,300 or 9.0%
Other NACE activities R-U, which increased by 9,200 or 7.8%

The largest % decreases by economic sector in Q4 2023 were observed in the:

Transportation & Storage sector – down 5,500 or -4.8%
Administrative & Support Service Activities sector, which decreased by 4,300 or -3.9%
Construction sector, which saw a decrease of 4,100 or -2.5%

Table 2.3 Persons aged 15-89 years in employment (ILO) classified by sex and NACE Rev.2 Economic Sector, ('000)

Table 2.3 Persons aged 15-89 years in employment (ILO) classified by sex and NACE Rev.2 Economic Sector
'000
Economic sector (NACE Rev.2)		Q4 21	Q3 22	Q4 22	Q1 23	Q2 23	Q3 23	Q4 23
Males
A	Agriculture, forestry and fishing	94.6	85.0	86.0	85.5	86.6	97.3	97.5

B-F	Total Industry	364.7	389.0	377.5	380.9	374.2	370.4	362.7
B-E	Industry	218.4	232.0	229.2	231.2	217.1	214.2	212.9
F	Construction	146.3	157.0	148.3	149.7	157.1	156.2	149.9

G-U	Total Services	891.0	920.8	924.3	939.1	945.2	952.6	969.9
G	Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles	162.4	165.2	163.6	171.2	172.1	159.4	177.2
H	Transportation and storage	83.8	89.6	90.3	94.4	96.3	95.2	89.6
I	Accommodation and food service activities	65.9	78.7	86.1	79.9	80.5	82.7	89.0
J	Information and communication	118.0	114.6	110.7	117.9	119.6	123.8	121.7
K-L	Financial, insurance and real estate activities	72.8	70.4	71.2	73.4	70.2	69.4	69.1
M	Professional, scientific and technical activities	88.9	100.1	101.5	96.4	98.7	99.1	103.2
N	Administrative and support service activities	57.5	66.9	60.2	61.0	64.5	64.5	58.8
O	Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	63.1	65.5	69.0	68.8	69.1	68.3	67.0
P	Education	60.8	53.2	54.2	56.8	57.9	58.9	60.5
Q	Human health and social work activities	68.0	73.5	74.5	72.7	68.0	79.8	81.7
R-U	Other NACE activities	49.7	43.1	43.1	46.6	48.3	51.6	52.0
Not stated		*	*	*	*	*	[6.2]	*
Total males		1,353.7	1,400.2	1,393.3	1,410.3	1,408.5	1,426.4	1,433.8

Females
A	Agriculture, forestry and fishing	15.0	12.1	17.6	16.4	15.3	17.4	15.4

B-F	Total Industry	114.2	119.6	114.8	116.5	119.0	124.3	119.0
B-E	Industry	99.5	103.4	97.7	103.5	103.6	111.1	107.6
F	Construction	14.7	16.2	17.1	13.1	15.4	13.2	11.4

G-U	Total Services	1,064.3	1,065.7	1,087.1	1,106.7	1,137.9	1,125.4	1,134.5
G	Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles	148.5	154.1	160.7	163.1	167.3	164.8	166.7
H	Transportation and storage	23.8	21.3	24.7	18.4	20.6	21.3	20.0
I	Accommodation and food service activities	97.0	93.1	85.2	93.1	97.8	100.4	94.1
J	Information and communication	54.9	49.8	57.5	54.4	56.1	55.7	47.2
K-L	Financial, insurance and real estate activities	61.5	59.0	64.5	61.6	68.8	65.3	66.6
M	Professional, scientific and technical activities	87.2	68.8	72.2	74.0	79.5	81.7	83.3
N	Administrative and support service activities	39.0	45.2	50.6	53.1	47.8	47.2	47.7
O	Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	74.0	69.9	72.2	73.9	75.6	68.9	75.6
P	Education	154.6	158.2	155.2	157.3	163.5	163.9	174.5
Q	Human health and social work activities	259.7	272.7	269.3	283.4	290.1	282.9	283.6
R-U	Other NACE activities	64.1	73.5	75.0	74.4	70.8	73.2	75.3
Not stated		*	*	*	*	*	*	*
Total females		1,197.7	1,202.4	1,223.4	1,242.4	1,274.1	1,269.9	1,272.6

All persons
A	Agriculture, forestry and fishing	109.6	97.1	103.5	102.0	101.9	114.7	112.9

B-F	Total Industry	479.0	508.6	492.3	497.4	493.1	494.6	481.7
B-E	Industry	317.9	335.4	326.9	334.7	320.7	325.2	320.4
F	Construction	161.0	173.1	165.4	162.8	172.4	169.4	161.3

G-U	Total Services	1,955.3	1,986.5	2,011.4	2,045.8	2,083.1	2,078.0	2,104.3
G	Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles	310.9	319.2	324.2	334.3	339.5	324.2	343.8
H	Transportation and storage	107.7	110.9	115.0	112.8	116.9	116.4	109.6
I	Accommodation and food service activities	162.9	171.8	171.2	173.0	178.2	183.1	183.1
J	Information and communication	172.9	164.4	168.2	172.3	175.8	179.5	168.9
K-L	Financial, insurance and real estate activities	134.3	129.5	135.7	135.0	139.1	134.7	135.7
M	Professional, scientific and technical activities	176.1	168.9	173.7	170.4	178.2	180.8	186.6
N	Administrative and support service activities	96.5	112.2	110.8	114.1	112.3	111.7	106.5
O	Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	137.1	135.4	141.2	142.8	144.7	137.1	142.7
P	Education	215.4	211.4	209.4	214.1	221.4	222.9	235.0
Q	Human health and social work activities	327.7	346.2	343.9	356.1	358.0	362.7	365.3
R-U	Other NACE activities	113.8	116.7	118.1	121.0	119.1	124.7	127.3
Not stated		[7.5]	10.4	[9.4]	[7.4]	*	[9.0]	[7.5]
Total persons		2,551.4	2,602.6	2,616.7	2,652.7	2,682.7	2,696.2	2,706.4
¹ Estimates for number of persons, where there are less than 30 persons in a cell, are too small to be considered reliable. These estimates are presented with an asterisk (*) in the relevant tables. Where there are 30-49 persons in a cell, estimates are considered to have a wider margin of error and should be treated with caution. These cells are presented with parentheses [].
²Data in this table incorporates updated population estimates based on the results of Census 2022. For further information see Background Notes.

Open in Excel: Labour Force Survey Quarter 4 2023 Table 2.3 (XLS 45KB)

Employment Status

The number of employees increased by 84,300 (+3.7%) in the year to Q4 2023 to 2,338,500, while the number of self-employed increased by 2,300 (+0.7%) to 341,400.

The increase in overall employment of 89,600 in the year to Q4 2023 was made up of 58,600 (+2.9%) persons in full-time employment and 31,000 (+5.5%) persons in part-time employment. See Tables 2.1 and 2.4.

Table 2.4 Persons aged 15 – 89 years in employment (ILO) classified by sex and employment status

Table 2.4 Persons aged 15-89 years in employment (ILO) classified by sex and employment status
'000
Employment status		Q4 21	Q3 22	Q4 22	Q1 23	Q2 23	Q3 23	Q4 23
Males
	Self employed (with paid employees)	78.3	78.5	83.4	75.3	77.2	77.3	78.3
	Self employed (with no paid employees)	171.4	180.9	169.3	179.7	177.7	182.0	178.4
	Total self employed	249.7	259.4	252.7	255.1	254.9	259.3	256.7
	Employee	1,090.9	1,130.2	1,129.5	1,143.7	1,143.7	1,152.4	1,164.3
	Assisting relative	13.1	10.5	11.1	11.6	10.0	14.7	12.8
	Total males	1,353.7	1,400.2	1,393.3	1,410.3	1,408.5	1,426.4	1,433.8

Females
	Self employed (with paid employees)	25.4	23.4	22.4	24.2	25.2	28.2	25.3
	Self employed (with no paid employees)	58.1	61.1	63.9	62.0	62.3	57.8	59.3
	Total self employed	83.5	84.5	86.3	86.2	87.6	86.0	84.6
	Employee	1,101.7	1,106.7	1,124.8	1,141.2	1,174.9	1,167.2	1,174.2
	Assisting relative	12.5	11.2	12.3	14.9	11.6	16.7	13.7
	Total females	1,197.7	1,202.4	1,223.4	1,242.4	1,274.1	1,269.9	1,272.6

All persons
	Self employed (with paid employees)	103.7	101.8	105.8	99.6	102.4	105.5	103.6
	Self employed (with no paid employees)	229.5	242.0	233.2	241.7	240.0	239.8	237.7
	Total self employed	333.2	343.9	339.0	341.3	342.4	345.3	341.4
	Employee	2,192.6	2,237.0	2,254.2	2,284.9	2,318.6	2,319.6	2,338.5
	Assisting relative	25.6	21.7	23.5	26.5	21.6	31.3	26.5
	Total persons	2,551.4	2,602.6	2,616.7	2,652.7	2,682.7	2,696.2	2,706.4
¹ Estimates for number of persons, where there are less than 30 persons in a cell, are too small to be considered reliable. These estimates are presented with an asterisk (*) in the relevant tables. Where there are 30-49 persons in a cell, estimates are considered to have a wider margin of error and should be treated with caution. These cells are presented with parentheses [].
²Data in this table incorporates updated population estimates based on the results of Census 2022. For further information see Background Notes.

Open in Excel: Labour Force Survey Quarter 4 2023 Table 2.4 (XLS 39KB)

Visit Table QLF17 on PxStat

NUTS 3 Regions

Employment increased over the year in all NUTS 3 regions. The South-East region saw the largest percentage increase at 6.1%, followed by the South-West region at 5.6%. See Table 2.5.

Table 2.5 Persons aged 15 years and over classified by NUTS2 and NUTS3 regions and ILO Economic Status

Table 2.5 Persons aged 15 years and over classified by NUTS2 and NUTS3 regions and ILO Economic Status

Region		Q4 21	Q3 22	Q4 22	Q1 23	Q2 23	Q3 23	Q4 23
Northern and Western
	In employment ('000) (Persons aged 15-89)	426.9	440.4	444.8	452.6	458.0	469.5	465.8
	Unemployed ('000) (Persons aged 15-74)	18.3	21.3	17.7	18.0	17.8	18.3	17.9
	In labour force ('000) (Persons aged 15-89)	445.2	461.6	462.5	470.5	475.8	487.8	483.7
	Unemployment rate (%) (Persons aged 15-74)	4.2	4.6	3.9	3.9	3.8	3.8	3.7
	Participation rate (%) (Persons aged 15+)	62.0	62.7	62.6	63.1	63.5	64.8	63.7
Border
	In employment ('000) (Perons aged 15-89)	191.9	199.3	200.3	204.5	203.9	209.1	210.0
	Unemployed ('000) (Persons aged 15-74)	[7.3]	10.5	[9.0]	[8.3]	[8.1]	[9.1]	[7.5]
	In labour force ('000) (Persons aged 15-89)	199.2	209.7	209.3	212.8	212.0	218.3	217.5
	Unemployment rate (%) (Persons aged 15-74)	3.7	5.0	4.3	3.9	3.8	4.2	3.5
	Participation rate (%) (Persons aged 15+)	60.0	61.8	61.6	62.2	61.7	62.9	62.1
West
	In employment ('000) (Persons aged 15-89)	235.0	241.1	244.5	248.1	254.0	260.4	255.8
	Unemployed ('000) (Persons aged 15-74)	11.0	10.8	[8.7]	[9.7]	[9.8]	[9.2]	10.4
	In labour force ('000) (Persons aged 15-89)	246.1	251.9	253.2	257.8	263.8	269.6	266.2
	Unemployment rate (%) (Persons aged 15-74)	4.5	4.3	3.5	3.8	3.7	3.4	3.9
	Participation rate (%) (Persons aged 15+)	63.7	63.5	63.5	63.8	65.0	66.4	65.1

Southern
	In employment ('000) (Persons aged 15-89)	817.9	842.5	839.4	852.1	858.4	876.9	884.6
	Unemployed ('000) (Persons aged 15-74)	39.4	33.5	34.6	28.6	42.5	45.3	36.2
	In labour force ('000) (Persons aged 15-89)	857.3	876.0	874.0	880.7	900.9	922.2	920.7
	Unemployment rate (%) (Persons aged 15-74)	4.6	3.8	4.0	3.3	4.8	5.0	4.0
	Participation rate (%) (Persons aged 15+)	62.9	62.9	62.4	62.4	63.6	64.6	64.0
Mid-West
	In employment ('000) (Persons aged 15-89)	245.2	246.5	245.5	248.6	255.3	254.2	256.6
	Unemployed ('000) (Persons aged 15-74)	11.4	11.6	10.9	10.3	12.7	13.8	11.1
	In labour force ('000) (Persons aged 15-89)	256.6	258.0	256.4	259.0	268.0	268.0	267.7
	Unemployment rate (%) (Persons aged 15-74)	4.5	4.5	4.3	4.0	4.8	5.2	4.2
	Participation rate (%) (Persons aged 15+)	63.2	62.3	61.5	61.7	63.4	62.8	62.2
South-East
	In employment ('000) (Persons aged 15-89)	212.5	223.0	219.1	222.8	220.0	232.6	232.4
	Unemployed ('000) (Persons aged 15-74)	14.7	[8.3]	[12.4]	[8.6]	13.3	11.6	[10.4]
	In labour force ('000) (Persons aged 15-89)	227.2	231.3	231.5	231.4	233.3	244.2	242.8
	Unemployment rate (%) (Persons aged 15-74)	6.5	3.6	5.4	3.7	5.8	4.8	4.3
	Participation rate (%) (Persons aged 15+)	62.3	62.0	61.7	61.4	61.6	64.1	63.5
South-West
	In employment ('000) (Persons aged 15-89)	360.2	373.1	374.8	380.7	383.1	390.1	395.7
	Unemployed ('000) (Persons aged 15-74)	13.3	13.6	11.3	9.6	16.5	19.9	14.6
	In labour force ('000) (Persons aged 15-89)	373.5	386.7	386.1	390.3	399.5	410.0	410.3
	Unemployment rate (%) (Persons aged 15-74)	3.6	3.5	2.9	2.5	4.1	4.9	3.6
	Participation rate (%) (Persons aged 15+)	63.0	63.8	63.3	63.6	64.9	66.2	65.6

Eastern and Midland
	In employment ('000) (Persons aged 15-89)	1,306.6	1,319.7	1,332.6	1,348.0	1,366.3	1,349.8	1,356.0
	Unemployed ('000) (Persons aged 15-74)	72.3	65.7	60.3	64.7	61.8	66.3	63.7
	In labour force ('000) (Persons aged 15-89)	1,378.9	1,385.4	1,392.8	1,412.8	1,428.1	1,416.1	1,419.7
	Unemployment rate (%) (Persons aged 15-74)	5.3	4.8	4.3	4.6	4.3	4.7	4.5
	Participation rate (%) (Persons aged 15+)	67.9	66.9	66.9	67.4	67.9	67.1	66.9
Dublin
	In employment ('000) (Persons aged 15-89)	774.2	780.7	783.4	795.2	806.7	791.7	800.7
	Unemployed ('000) (Persons aged 15-74)	44.0	41.5	38.4	42.4	42.2	42.0	39.7
	In labour force ('000) (Persons aged 15-89)	818.2	822.2	821.8	837.6	848.9	833.7	840.4
	Unemployment rate (%) (Persons aged 15-74)	5.4	5.1	4.7	5.1	5.0	5.0	4.7
	Participation rate (%) (Persons aged 15+)	69.1	68.1	67.7	68.4	69.1	67.6	67.9
Mid-East
	In employment ('000) (Persons aged 15-89)	375.4	384.0	393.7	389.9	399.9	398.5	399.2
	Unemployed ('000) (Persons aged 15-74)	20.8	16.5	16.2	16.0	13.6	16.2	14.9
	In labour force ('000) (Persons aged 15-89)	396.2	400.5	410.0	405.9	413.6	414.7	414.1
	Unemployment rate (%) (Persons aged 15-74)	5.3	4.1	4.0	4.0	3.3	3.9	3.6
	Participation rate (%) (Persons aged 15+)	66.3	65.5	67.0	66.2	67.2	67.2	66.7
Midland
	In employment ('000) (Persons aged 15-89)	157.0	155.0	155.4	162.9	159.7	159.6	156.1
	Unemployed ('000) (Persons aged 15-74)	[7.6]	[7.7]	*	*	*	[8.1]	9.1
	In labour force ('000) (Persons aged 15-89)	164.6	162.7	161.1	169.2	165.7	167.7	165.2
	Unemployment rate (%) (Persons aged 15-74)	4.6	4.8	3.5	3.8	3.6	4.9	5.6
	Participation rate (%) (Persons aged 15+)	65.9	64.0	62.9	65.5	63.9	64.2	62.8

State
	In employment ('000) (Persons aged 15-89)	2,551.4	2,602.6	2,616.7	2,652.7	2,682.7	2,696.2	2,706.4
	Unemployed ('000) (Persons aged 15-74)	130.1	120.5	112.6	111.3	122.2	129.9	117.7
	In labour force ('000) (Persons aged 15-89)	2,681.5	2,723.0	2,729.4	2,764.0	2,804.9	2,826.2	2,824.1
	Unemployment rate (%) (Persons aged 15-74)	4.9	4.4	4.1	4.0	4.4	4.6	4.2
	Participation rate (%) (Persons aged 15+)	65.2	64.8	64.6	65.0	65.7	65.9	65.4
¹ Estimates for number of persons, where there are less than 30 persons in a cell, are too small to be considered reliable. These estimates are presented with an asterisk (*) in the relevant tables. Where there are 30-49 persons in a cell, estimates are considered to have a wider margin of error and should be treated with caution. These cells are presented with parentheses []. In the case of rates, these limits apply to the denominator used in generating the rate. In the case of annual changes, both the current year and the preceding year are taken into account when deciding whether the estimate should be suppressed or flagged as having a wider margin of error.
² Data in this table incorporates updated population estimates based on the results of Census 2022. For further information see Background Notes.

Open in Excel: Labour Force Survey Quarter 4 2023 Table 2.5 (XLS 44KB)

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Labour Force Survey Quarter 4 2023

Employment

Employment

Employment up 40,500 (2.9%) for males and 49,200 (4.0%) for females in the year to Q4 2023

Numbers Employed

Employment Rates

Economic Sector

Employment Status

NUTS 3 Regions

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