Press Statement

Preasráiteas

09 June 2021

Go to release: Ireland's UN SDG's - Goal 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth 2021

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (09 June 2021) published Ireland's UN SDGs - Goal 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth 2021.  This report is the eighth in a series of CSO publications which monitor how Ireland is progressing towards meeting its targets under the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  Reports currently published in the UN SDG series are ‘Goal 1 No Poverty’; ‘Goal 2 Zero Hunger’; ‘Goal 3 Good Health and Well-Being’; ‘Goal 4 Quality Education’; ‘Goal 5 Gender Equality’; ‘Goal 6 Clean Water and Sanitation’ and ‘Goal 7 Affordable and Clean Energy’.

Commenting on the publication, Kevin McCormack, Senior Statistician, said:

“Goal 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth reports data for Ireland using 16 Indicators divided into four main chapters:  Economic Growth, Decent Work, Employment Rights and Policies, and Infrastructure.  Data are presented in categories such as gender, age group, vulnerable groups and geographical location, where possible.  The SDGs and their associated indicators are, by design, wide-ranging in their coverage.  As a result, the Irish data is provided by a number of sources including Government Departments, official organisations, and international organisations such as the UN.  This publication was developed in collaboration with the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment."

The 17 UN SDGs are a set of global development targets adopted by the United Nations (UN) member countries in September 2015 to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.  The UN SDGs are driving the global development agenda towards 2030 (Agenda 2030).  They address global challenges including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice.  The CSO has a central role in the identification, management, and presentation of the data needed to meet the requirements of the UN SDG Indicators.

Commenting further on the publication, Kevin McCormack, Senior Statistician, said:

“While Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at constant prices rose by almost 51% between 2014 and 2019 there was a smaller increase in Gross National Income (GNI) per capita over the same period, rising from €39,769 to €54,080.  The lowest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in 2019 was in the Midlands region at €24,171 while the highest was in Dublin at €106,280.

When considering earnings data, it should be noted that there may be a compositional effect due to the significant changes in employment in certain sectors.  The composition of the labour market is very different since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

The standard measure of Monthly Unemployment (seasonally adjusted) in April 2021 for all persons aged 15-74 years was 5.8%, which does not include claimants of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP).

Looking at workplace accidents, the largest number (47%) of fatal accidents occurred in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing where 20 workers and two non-workers lost their lives in 2019.  The Construction sector reported 12 deaths, making it the sector with second highest number of fatal accidents in 2019, while six people, four workers and two non-workers, suffered fatal accidents in the Transportation & Storage sector.  Of the 47 total fatal workplace accidents that occurred in 2019, 45 were male and two were female”.

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