Business in Ireland 2025 - Labour Market and 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.

This chapter shows:

• 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).
• Those most at risk of poverty in 2025 were those individuals who described their Principal Economic Status (PES) as unemployed (29.3%). This compares with an at risk of poverty rate of 5.7% for those that described themselves as employed.
• On average, households received 87.7% of gross weekly income from market income sources, and 12.3% of gross income from social transfers per week in 2025.
• Employee income (69.9%) was the main source of market income received by households in 2025.

Overall life satisfaction higher for employed than unemployed

Data on life satisfaction is reported in the CSO, Well-being-Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) releases.

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).

Between 2020 and 2025 the overall life satisfaction scores for individuals who were employed was consistently higher than for those who were unemployed. See Figure 6.1 and Table 6.1.

Almost one in three unemployed persons are at risk of poverty

Data on income, poverty and deprivation is reported in the CSO, Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) releases.

Those most at risk of poverty in 2025 were those individuals who described their Principal Economic Status (PES) as unemployed (29.3%), this compares with an at risk of poverty rate of 5.7% for those that described themselves as employed.

For persons of working age, risk of poverty, deprivation and consistent poverty tends to be correlated with employment status. An analysis by PES shows that the consistent poverty rate was highest among the unemployed (18.1%), while it was lowest amongst those who were employed (1.5%).

An individual is defined as being at risk of poverty if their nominal equivalised disposable income is under the at risk of poverty threshold, i.e. 60% of the median nominal equivalised disposable income. See Figure 6.2 and Table 6.2.

Households received 87.7% of gross weekly income from market income sources, on average, in 2025

Data on household weekly income is reported in the CSO, Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) releases.

In 2025, the mean weekly household gross income was €1,979.54, representing an increase of €88.53 (4.7%) from the previous year. On average, households received €1,735.52 (87.7% of gross weekly income) from market income sources, and €244.02 (12.3% of gross income) from social transfers per week. See Figure 6.3.

The mean weekly household gross income that came from market income in 2025 (€1,735.52) comprised of employee income (69.9%), self-employment income (10.2%), employer's social insurance contributions (8.7%), private/occupational pensions (5.7%), and other income (5.6%). See Table 6.3.