This is the fourth in a series of releases that looks at data relating to enterprises through the lens of sustainability, and in this release, we look at the Irish labour market and the factors that can impact enterprise economy sustainability. We also look at how enterprises, through how they pay and train their staff, impact more broadly on social sustainability in Ireland (living standards, gender equality, etc.).
Labour supply is important for enterprises. The number of employees increased by 355,332 between 2019 and 2024, with non-Irish nationals contributing 61% or 218,261 of the growth.
Some sectors of the enterprise economy are more reliant on non-national labour supply than others. In 2024, non-Irish nationals represented a significant proportion of employees in the Administrative & Support Services (45.6%), Accommodation & Food Services (45.1%), and Information & Communication (41.4%) sectors.
Total employment (employees and self-employed) was 2.8 million in Q4 2025, of which the main sectors were Human Health & Social Work Activities (0.39 million or 13.9%) and Industry (excluding Construction) (0.35 million or 12.5%). Compared with the EU, Ireland's labour market has a different sectoral profile. The Information & Communication sector which, in 2024, accounted for 6.7% of employments in Ireland is almost double the EU average for this sector (3.5%).
The demographics of Ireland is changing, with fewer births and an ageing population, which could have implications for future labour supply. Individuals aged 55 years and over made up 20% of the labour force in Q4 2025, up from 10% in Q4 2000.
Median weekly earnings for all sectors increased by 22.1% between 2019 (€598.36) and 2024 (730.89). US-owned enterprises accounted for 9% of employees in the enterprise economy but around 17% of total employee earnings in 2023. US-owned enterprises accounted for nearly 60% of total employee earnings recorded in the Information & Communication sector (59.1%) and almost one quarter of earnings in the Financial, Insurance & Real Estate Activities sector (24.1%).
Enterprises have responsibilities in relation to gender equality. In 2025, almost a third (32%) of senior executives in Ireland were female. While there were relatively equal number of male and female employees across total employments, female employees represented less than a third (31%) of high earners (top 10% of earnings) in 2024.
Ireland consistently reports high rates of third level educational attainment, with 55% of people aged 25-74 years having a third level qualification in Ireland in 2025, the highest in the EU. While in 2022, the participation rate in lifelong learning for people aged 25-69 years in Ireland was 52%, the sixth highest in the EU, and above the EU average of 44%.
As a contribution from the enterprise economy to broader social sustainability in Ireland, in 2025, individuals who were employed reported higher overall life satisfaction (mean score of 7.7 out of 10, with 10 representing ‘Completely satisfied’) than those who were unemployed (mean score of 6.8 out of 10), with your risk of poverty being far higher if unemployed (29.3%) than if employed (5.7%).
This release is the fourth in a series of releases that will leverage existing data sources to provide insight on different aspects of sustainability from an enterprise perspective. The previous releases looked at Emissions and Energy Use by Enterprises, Sustainability Through Innovation and Technology and Circular Economy & Resource Use.
The broad policy context relates to national and European Union (EU) climate action plans which state as their objective to be at “net zero” by 2050 and national policy for Irish-based enterprises to succeed through competitive advantage founded on sustainability, innovation, and productivity.
Sustainability is a multi-faceted concept that focuses on balancing environmental, economic and social considerations. Put simply, it is development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainability is of increasing importance to enterprises, in terms of meeting environmental regulations and expectations, but also from an economic and social perspective.
The last release in this present series will look at the general issue of economic resilience from an enterprise perspective.
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (19 May 2026) published Business in Ireland 2025 - Labour Market and Social Sustainability.
This is the fourth in a series of releases that brings together relevant enterprise economy statistics from a variety of outputs and looks at them through the lens of sustainability to provide greater insights around sustainability and climate targets (See Editor’s Note for more detail).
Commenting on the release, Morgan O’Donnell, Statistician in the Sustainability, Circular Economy & Transport division said: “Sustainability is of increasing importance to enterprises, in terms of meeting environmental regulations and expectations, but also from an economic and social perspective.
There is increasing national and international recognition that economic growth alone is not a sufficient measure of success, and that long term prosperity depends on achieving a balanced integration of economic, environmental, and social outcomes. This release is the fourth in a series which attempts to build that broader picture and provide greater insights for enterprises around sustainability and climate targets.
Enterprise sustainability, including competitiveness and resilience, can be impacted by dynamics in the labour market. How the enterprise economy attracts and creates employment, pays wages, and provides good quality working conditions impacts on their business operations. These activities also support the long-term well-being of workers and wider society.
Note: References to employees in this release mainly relate to employments (employees only, not self-employed) in NACE sectors B-S. References to the labour force and employment rate are based on data and definitions from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and include both employees and the self-employed.
Labour Supply
Labour supply is important for enterprises. The demographics of Ireland is changing, with fewer births and an ageing population, which could have implications for future labour supply. The numbers employed in the labour force reached record levels in 2025 (2.8 million people in Q4 2025, up 19% from 2.4 million people in Q4 2019) and is projected to grow further in coming years, with older people likely to represent an increasing proportion of the workforce (based on CSO population and labour force projections). Interestingly, some sectors of the enterprise economy are more reliant on non-national labour supply than others.
Employee Earnings
Employee earnings are a crucial element of enterprise sustainability. While rising labour costs can create financial pressure on enterprises, paying higher wages could benefit enterprises in attracting and retaining staff, potentially leading to lower turnover costs and higher productivity and innovation.
Staff Training and Education
Providing training to staff or encouraging them to pursue further training and education could be a signal to employees that their employer is invested in their career, potentially making them feel more valued and driving greater engagement. Training may also benefit the enterprise through greater productivity or innovation.
Equality and Quality of Work
In addition to offering attractive compensation, providing decent working conditions and inclusive opportunities may benefit employers in terms of attracting and retaining staff.
Impact of Enterprise Economy on Social Sustainability
How the enterprise economy creates employment, pays wages, and provides good quality working conditions impacts on their business operations. These activities also support the long-term well-being of employees and wider society.