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Educational Attainment Thematic Report 2021

Labour Market Status

Education Level and the Labour Force - employment rates increase with education level

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Employment rates for those aged 25-64 years old increased as the level of educational attainment increased, and this relationship is stronger for females than for males. In Q2 2021, females aged 25-64 years old with a third level qualification were over three times more likely to be employed (81%) compared to females with a primary education or no formal education (24%). Comparing this to males aged 25-64 years old with a third level qualification, the employment rate was 90%, dropping to a 38% employment rate for those with a primary only education or no formal education. See Table 2.1 and Figure 2.1.

Table 2.1 Employment rates of persons aged 25-64, classified by sex and highest level of education attained, Q2 2018 - Q2 2021

	Male	Female	Total
Primary or below	38	24	32
Lower secondary	69	41	58
Higher secondary	78	60	69
Post leaving cert.	84	68	76
Third level	90	81	85

Unemployment rates for those aged 25-64 years old generally decreased as the level of education attained increased. In Q2 2021, males aged 25-64 years old with a primary education or below were more than twice as likely to be unemployed (10%) compared to males with a third level qualification (4%). The corresponding values for females in Q2 2021 were 12% and 4% respectively. See Table 2.2 and Figure 2.2.

Table 2.2 Unemployment rates of persons aged 25-64, classified by sex and highest level of education attained, Q2 2018 - Q2 2021

	Male	Female	Total
Primary or below	10	12	11
Lower secondary	8	9	9
Higher secondary	7	7	7
Post leaving cert.	7	6	7
Third level	4	4	4

The labour force participation rate is the number of persons in the labour force expressed as a percentage of the total population. In Q2 2021, females aged 25-64 years old with a third level qualification were three times as likely to be in the labour force (84%) compared to females with a primary education or below (28%). The corresponding values for males in Q2 2021 were 94% and 42% respectively. See Table 2.3.

Table 2.3 Labour force participation rates of persons aged 25-64, classified by sex and the highest level of education attained, Q2 2018 - Q2 2021

Early School Leavers – around two-thirds are not economically active

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Just under two thirds (64%) of early school leavers (Early school leavers are persons aged 18 to 24 whose highest level of educational attainment is lower secondary or below and are not currently in education) aged 18-24 were not economically active compared to 35% of other persons aged 18-24 in Q2 2021. Just over one in five (21%) early school leavers were employed in Q2 2021, with 15% unemployed. Early school leavers had a much lower rate of employment in Q2 2021 compared with other persons aged 18-24 (21% compared to 54%). The unemployment rate for early school leavers was 15% compared to 12% for other persons aged 18-24. See Table 2.4.

Table 2.4 Percentage of early school leavers and other persons aged 18-24 classified by labour market status, Q2 2011 - Q2 2021

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Table 2.1 Employment rates of persons aged 25-64, classified by sex and highest level of education attained, Q2 2018 - Q2 2021
% of persons
Highest level of education attained	NFQ¹	2018	2019	2020	2021
Male employment rate
Primary or below	None/1/2	44	50	42	38
Lower Secondary	3	73	71	67	69
Higher Secondary	4/5	81	82	76	78
Post Leaving Certificate	4/5/6	83	87	81	84
Third Level, of which:	6/7/8/9/10	90	91	86	90
Higher Certificate or equivalent	6	91	83	71	86
Ordinary Degree or equivalent	7	88	87	80	88
Honours bachelor degree or equivalent	8	90	91	88	90
Postgraduate qualification	9/10	91	94	89	93
Total male employment rate		82	83	79	82

Female employment rate
Primary or below	None/1/2	26	26	23	24
Lower Secondary	3	41	41	39	41
Higher Secondary	4/5	61	63	51	60
Post Leaving Certificate	4/5/6	68	66	56	68
Third Level, of which:	6/7/8/9/10	81	81	77	81
Higher Certificate or equivalent	6	67	71	62	65
Ordinary Degree or equivalent	7	76	78	71	75
Honours bachelor degree or equivalent	8	82	81	77	82
Postgraduate qualification	9/10	85	85	84	85
Total female employment rate		69	69	64	71

All persons employment rate
Primary or below	None/1/2	35	40	34	32
Lower Secondary	3	61	58	55	58
Higher Secondary	4/5	71	73	64	69
Post Leaving Certificate	4/5/6	75	77	68	76
Third Level, of which:	6/7/8/9/10	85	86	81	85
Higher Certificate or equivalent	6	77	75	66	72
Ordinary Degree or equivalent	7	81	82	76	81
Honours bachelor degree or equivalent	8	86	86	82	86
Postgraduate qualification	9/10	88	89	86	88
Total persons employment rate		75	76	71	76
¹ National Framework of Qualifications

Table 2.2 Unemployment rates of persons aged 25-64, classified by sex and highest level of education attained, Q2 2018 - Q2 2021
% of persons
Highest level of education attained	NFQ ¹	2018	2019	2020	2021
Male unemployment rate
Primary or below	None/1/2	14	8	10	10
Lower Secondary	3	7	7	5	8
Higher Secondary	4/5	5	5	5	7
Post Leaving Certificate	4/5/6	6	4	5	7
Third Level, of which:	6/7/8/9/10	4	2	4	4
Higher Certificate or equivalent	6	0	7	3	9
Ordinary Degree or equivalent	7	4	3	6	5
Honours bachelor degree or equivalent	8	4	3	3	4
Postgraduate qualification	9/10	3	1	3	3
Total male unemployment rate		5	4	4	6

Female unemployment rate
Primary or below	None/1/2	11	2	7	12
Lower Secondary	3	8	7	2	9
Higher Secondary	4/5	6	5	6	7
Post Leaving Certificate	4/5/6	6	7	7	6
Third Level, of which:	6/7/8/9/10	4	3	3	4
Higher Certificate or equivalent	6	9	3	4	8
Ordinary Degree or equivalent	7	5	4	3	5
Honours bachelor degree or equivalent	8	4	3	2	3
Postgraduate qualification	9/10	3	3	3	5
Total female unemployment rate		5	4	4	5
All persons unemployment rate
Primary or below	None/1/2	13	7	9	11
Lower Secondary	3	7	7	4	9
Higher Secondary	4/5	5	5	5	7
Post Leaving Certificate	4/5/6	6	5	6	7
Third Level, of which:	6/7/8/9/10	4	3	3	4
Higher Certificate or equivalent	6	5	5	4	8
Ordinary Degree or equivalent	7	4	4	4	5
Honours bachelor degree or equivalent	8	4	3	2	3
Postgraduate qualification	9/10	3	2	3	4
Total unemployment rate		5	4	4	5
¹ National Framework of Qualifications

Table 2.3 Labour force participation rates of persons aged 25-64, classified by sex and the highest level of education attained, Q2 2018 - Q2 2021
% of persons
Highest level of education attained	NFQ¹	2018	2019	2020	2021
Male participation rate
Primary or below	None/1/2	51	55	47	42
Lower Secondary	3	78	76	71	75
Higher Secondary	4/5	86	86	80	83
Post Leaving Certificate	4/5/6	88	91	85	90
Third Level, of which:	6/7/8/9/10	93	93	90	94
Higher Certificate or equivalent	6	91	89	74	94
Ordinary Degree or equivalent	7	91	90	85	93
Honours bachelor degree or equivalent	8	94	93	91	93
Postgraduate qualification	9/10	94	95	93	96
Total male participation rate		86	87	83	87

Female participation rate
Primary or below	None/1/2	29	27	24	28
Lower Secondary	3	45	44	40	45
Higher Secondary	4/5	64	66	54	65
Post Leaving Certificate	4/5/6	72	71	60	73
Third Level, of which:	6/7/8/9/10	85	84	79	84
Higher Certificate or equivalent	6	74	73	64	70
Ordinary Degree or equivalent	7	79	81	73	80
Honours bachelor degree or equivalent	8	86	84	79	85
Postgraduate qualification	9/10	88	87	86	89
Total female participation rate		72	72	66	74

All persons participation rate
Primary or below	None/1/2	41	42	38	36
Lower Secondary	3	65	63	58	64
Higher Secondary	4/5	75	76	67	75
Post Leaving Certificate	4/5/6	80	81	72	81
Third Level, of which:	6/7/8/9/10	88	88	84	89
Higher Certificate or equivalent	6	81	79	68	79
Ordinary Degree or equivalent	7	85	85	79	85
Honours bachelor degree or equivalent	8	89	88	84	89
Postgraduate qualification	9/10	91	91	89	92
Total participation rate		79	79	74	81
¹ National Framework of Qualifications

Table 2.4 Percentage of early school leavers¹ and other persons aged 18-24 classified by labour market status, Q2 2011 - Q2 2021
% of persons
	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
Early school leaver
Employed	31	30	35	31	29	43	34	28	27	21	21
Unemployed	42	43	39	33	40	23	23	18	25	12	15
In labour force	73	74	74	64	69	66	57	46	53	32	36
Inactive	27	26	26	36	31	34	43	54	47	68	64

Other persons aged 18-24
Employed	50	48	50	49	52	57	56	56	56	43	54
Unemployed	17	20	18	15	12	12	9	9	8	8	12
In labour force	68	68	68	64	64	69	65	65	64	51	65
Inactive	32	32	32	36	36	31	35	35	36	49	35

All persons aged 18-24
Employed	48	46	49	48	51	56	55	55	54	42	53
Unemployed	20	22	19	16	13	12	10	9	9	8	12
In labour force	68	68	68	64	64	69	65	64	64	50	65
Inactive	32	32	32	36	36	31	35	36	36	50	35
¹ See background notes for definition of an early school leaver and labour market (ILO employment) status.

Educational Attainment Thematic Report 2021

Labour Market Status

Education Level and the Labour Force - employment rates increase with education level

Early School Leavers – around two-thirds are not economically active

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