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Work and Education

Work and Education

CSO statistical publication, , 11am

This chapter delves into the world of work for this group, their employment status, the type of industry in which they are employed, as well as their highest level of education to date. GUI survey results have been augmented with administrative data with some information on income and education derived from secondary data sources dating from the 2022 calendar year. The extensive use of administrative data represents a significant advancement for GUI: utilizing already available data reduces respondent burden and increases the level of detail in the dataset. Some of the standout figures are: 

  • Over eight in 10 (82%) respondents were employed at the time of the survey interview.
  • The most common sectors of employment were Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities; Industry; Education, and Human Health and Social Work Activities in that order.
  • Around 60% of respondents had achieved a university degree or equivalent qualification.
  • Individuals, especially women, with higher incomes and higher levels of education said they were most satisfied with their job.

At Work

Table 1.1 Principal economic status of respondents aged 25 years

At 20 years of age, around one in five respondents were in full-time employment with the majority (more than two-thirds) in further/higher education. Financial and employment security were among the main aspirations of this group at 20. More than seven in ten regarded being financially secure and having a good job by age 30 as highly important.

At age 25, more than 80% of women and more than 83% of men in this group said their principal economic status was in employment (See Table 1.1) Men and women showed similar rates of reported unemployment (6.8% of men compared with 5.7% of women). For those who stated they were actively employed in the previous week, most (91.5%) were employees (See Table 1.2) and more than eight in ten (81.3%) were in regular full-time employment (See Table 1.3). Rates of self-employment and part-time work were low across the group. Women were more often in regular part-time work than men (11% of women compared with 6.4% of men).

Table 1.2 Employee type of respondents aged 25 years

Table 1.3 Employment status of respondents aged 25 years

Respondents who were in active employment in the previous week were asked the main activity of the business or organisation where they principally worked. Industries were coded into groups using NACE classifications of economic activities (See Figure 1.1; see Background Notes for further information on NACE).  

The most common sectors of employment overall were Professional, Scientific & Technical Activities, NACE code B-E Industries, Education, and Human Health & Social Work Activities in that order. Men and women were employed in the Professional, Scientific & Technical Activities sector in relatively equal proportions (12.6% of men and 13.1% of women).  

The most popular industry for women aged 25 to work in was the Human Health & Social Work Activities sector reflecting 17.1% of employment for women, this industry was not as popular among men (5.1% of employed men were working in this sector). Women worked in the Education sector more often than men, 15% of women said they worked in Education compared with 7.2% of men.  

Men worked in NACE code B-E industries (Fishing, Mining, Manufacturing and Electricity & Water Supply) more frequently than women. The percentage of men employed in these areas was 14.9% compared with 8.1% of women. Men said they worked in the Information & Communication sector more than twice as frequently as women, 10.1% compared with 4.6% respectively.

Figure 1.1 Employment sector of respondents aged 25 years

Satisfaction with Work

Respondents were asked to rate their Job Satisfaction on a scale from zero to ten, with zero being not at all satisfied and ten being completely satisfied.

Any potential differences in job satisfaction due to sex, income (See Figure 1.2) or education (See Table 1.4) were small suggesting relatively stable job satisfaction for this Cohort '98 at age 25Both men (weighted mean of 7.1) and women (weighted mean of 7.2) reported almost equal job satisfaction.

Income played only a small part in increasing reported job satisfaction (See Figure 1.2). Income data was derived from administrative data and included income from employment as an employee, self-employment, social transfers, and student grants. Income was calculated for the complete tax year in 2022. Individuals with incomes in 2022 were divided into fifths based on their gross income, referred to as quintiles. Those in the highest income quintile reported a mean job satisfaction of 7.4. Those in the lowest income quintile reported a mean job satisfaction of 7.1. Women with the highest incomes had the highest reported levels of job satisfaction (mean of 7.5). 

Figure 1.2 Job satisfaction of respondents by income quintile

Levels of education had only a slight impact on job satisfaction (See Table 1.4): those with degree-level qualifications reported slightly higher job satisfaction compared with those without (7.2 compared with 7.1). Individuals, especially women, with higher incomes and higher education levels reported greater job satisfaction.

Table 1.4 Job satisfaction of respondents aged 25 years by education level

Education

This group of 25-year-olds in Ireland are among the most educated in the country’s history. Considering the generation before this, Census 1996 data shows that more than eight in 10 people aged 25-29 had a National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) Level 6 or below (Advanced Certificate/Higher Certificate) qualification and only 18.6% had an NFQ Level 7 or higher qualification.

With most of the Cohort '98 at age 25 respondents being in employment at the time of the survey, around one in 20 (6.2%) said their principal economic status was studying (See Table 1.1). By the end of the 2021/2022 academic year when respondents were aged 24, two in five (40.5%) respondents had achieved an NFQ Level 6 or below and nearly three in five (59.5%) had an NFQ Level 7 or higher; a degree or equivalent qualification (See Figure 1.3). Nearly one-eighth (11.3%) of respondents in Cohort '98 at age 25 had achieved an NFQ Level 9 (Masters Degree/Postgraduate Diploma) or higher qualification; men and women had achieved this level in equal proportions. Very few 25-year-olds had less than an NFQ Level 5 qualification (Leaving Certificate or equivalent) at 6.4% of men and 5.5% of women.

Figure 1.3 Highest education level of respondents aged 25 years

At the start of the 2022/2023 academic year, more than one in eight (13.8%) respondents were attending and studying in institutions registered with the Higher Education Authority (HEA; See Table 1.5). HEA data includes all universities, technological universities, and institutes of technology in Ireland but does not include private colleges, education or training boards, or other post-secondary educational institutes. Men (14.1%) and women (13.5%) were attending higher education institutes at relatively equal rates. Of all respondents, over one in twenty (5.6%) were studying for an NFQ Level 7 or 8 qualification, equivalent to a degree. One in twenty (5.0%) were studying for an NFQ Level 9 qualification (Masters Degree or equivalent). Just over one in a hundred (1.1%) were studying for an NFQ Level 10 qualification (Doctorate or equivalent).

Table 1.5 Respondents aged 25 years who were continuing in higher education