22nd May 2025
The Q1 2025 Labour Force Survey and latest Monthly Unemployment Release show:
- Employment continues to grow, with 90,800 jobs created in the year to Q1 2025
- Total employment now stands at 2.81 million
- Employment growth has been widespread throughout the regions – Employment outside of Dublin increased by 65,700 in the year to Q1 2025 (+3.5 percent)
- Full time employment was up 71,400 (+3.3 percent) year on year in the first quarter, while part time employment was up 20,100 (+3.5 percent) year on year
- In April 2025, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.1 percent, down from the revised rate of 4.4 in March 2025 and from a rate of 4.4 percent in April 2024
Labour Force Survey (LFS) results published today by the Central Statistics Office show continued growth in Ireland’s labour market, with 90,800 jobs created in the year to Q1 2025.
Employment now stands at 2.81 million, an increase of approximately 3.3 percent over Q1 2024.
This is a positive step towards the Programme for Government’s target to create 300,000 extra jobs by 2030, supported by strategic investments, supportive enterprise policies, and a focus on fostering a vibrant economy. This commitment to continued employment growth builds upon the Government’s White Paper on Enterprise, published in December 2022, which sets out the strategic direction for job creation in the years ahead.
Commenting on the figures, the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke TD, said:
“The Irish labour market has shown strong resilience and growth, with low unemployment rates and increasing job opportunities across sectors such as technology, healthcare, and finance. Today’s release from the CSO shows an exceptionally strong start to 2025, as the workforce continues to expand, driving the nation’s economic resilience and ensuring a brighter future for job seekers across the regions.
Female participation rates in the labour market in particular have been trending upwards and reached a new historic high in the first quarter of 2025, with more women now availing of opportunities for employment. My Department will continue to support workers throughout their careers, with initiatives to improve work-life balance and flexible working arrangements which encourages greater participation, resulting in greater diversity and inclusion within the workforce.”
The Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe TD, said:
“Today’s results highlight the continued strength of the Irish labour market, with around 90,000 jobs added in the year to Q1 2025. On a seasonally adjusted basis, we now have over 2.8 million people employed in our country, while the unemployment rate stood at 4.0 per cent in the first quarter. It is particularly welcome to see the continued rise in female labour force participation – increasing by over 1 percentage point on an annual basis.
While I am encouraged by the resilience of the labour market in the face of increased economic uncertainty, it is important to stress that today’s figures are backward looking. It is crucial that the strength of the economy in recent years does not lead to complacency.
As we begin preparations for Budget 2026 this summer, starting with the National Economic Dialogue in June, it is imperative that we continue to pursue a balanced and sensible budgetary policy as we navigate this period of uncertainty.”
CSO release here
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