The employment rate for people aged 15-64 years was 74.0% in Quarter 4 2023.
The number of people aged 15-89 years in employment increased by 89,600 or 3.4% to 2,706,400 in the 12 months to Q4 2023.
There were 117,700 unemployed people aged 15-74 years in Q4 2023 using International Labour Organisation (ILO) criteria, with an associated unemployment rate for those aged 15-74 of 4.2%, up from 4.1% in Q4 2022.
The unemployment rate among those aged 15-24 years (the youth unemployment rate) was 9.4% in Q4 2023, up from 9.1% in Q4 2022.
The estimated Labour Force (i.e. the sum of all persons aged 15-89 years who were either employed or unemployed) stood at 2,824,100 in Q4 2023, a rise of 3.5% (94,700) from Q4 2022.
The estimated participation rate in Q4 2023 was 65.4%, up from 64.6% in Q4 2022.
The estimated total number of hours worked per week in Q4 2023 increased by 300,000 hours or 0.4% on Q4 2022 figures to 82.5 million hours.
Labour Force Survey series updates following Census 2022.
Today’s 2023 Q4 Labour Force Survey (LFS) results incorporate updated population estimates for the period 2016 Q3 to 2023 Q3, based on the results of Census 2022. LFS results are updated in this way following each Census of Population. Labour market estimates in today’s publication and PxStat now reflect the updated population estimates. For further information see Background Notes.
The headline table shows the numbers and rates for employed and unemployed persons. It also shows those working in the labour force and not in the labour force. It highlights the annual change to Q4 2023.
| Table 1.1 Labour Force Survey Summary Results | ||
| Indicator | Q4 2023 | Annual change 1 |
| Employed persons aged 15-89 years | 2,706,400 | +89,600 |
| Employment rate for those aged 15-64 years | 74.0% | +0.7 pp |
| Unemployed persons aged 15-74 years | 117,700 | +5,100 |
| Unemployment rate for those aged 15-74 years | 4.2% | +0.0 pp |
| In labour force | 2,824,100 | +94,700 |
| Not in labour force | 1,494,500 | 1,700 |
| 1 pp refers to percentage point change | ||
The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a continuous household survey carried out by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and is the official source for employment and unemployment estimates in Ireland.
The official labour market classification of respondents to the LFS is based on International Labour Organisation (ILO) concepts and definitions.
All European Union (EU) Member States are legally obliged to carry out a Labour Force Survey and to provide these data to Eurostat on a quarterly basis, as set out in the Integration of European Social Statistics (IESS) framework regulation (EU 2019/1700) and Implementing Regulation (EU 2019/2240), which apply from 01 January 2021.
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (22 February 2024) released the results from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) for Q4 2023.
Commenting on today’s publication, Sam Scriven, Statistician in the Labour Market & Earnings Division, said: “The estimated number of people in employment in Q4 2023 stood at 2,706,400, up 3.4% compared with a year ago.
Employment
The 3.4% increase in persons in employment in the year to Q4 2023 was equivalent to 89,600 more people working than 12 months earlier.
An estimated 592,400 or 21.9% of those in employment worked part-time - and 23.6 % of those in part-time employment were classified as underemployed (i.e. they would like to work more hours for more pay).
In the year to Q4 2023 the age group with the highest employment rate was the 35-44 year-old group, which was unchanged from a year previously at 84.0%. The lowest employment rate by age was observed in the 15-19 year old cohort at 28.1%. All other age groupings saw an increase in employment rate with the exception of 55-59 year olds, where there was a decline of 1.8 p.p. to 72.3%.
Hours Worked
The estimated average number of hours worked in Quarter 4 was 82.5 million hours per week, an additional 300,000 hours worked per week when compared with Q4 2022.
The year on year change in hours worked varied across the different economic sectors. The 4.9 million hours worked per week in the Accommodation & Food Service Activities sector was up from 4.6 million in Q4 2022 but remains 300,000 hours below the pre-pandemic (Q4 2019) figure of 5.2 million hours worked per week.
Unemployment
The number of persons aged 15-74 years who were unemployed in Q4 2023 stood at 117,700, with an associated Unemployment Rate of 4.2%. The Youth Unemployment Rate (15-24 year-olds) stood at 9.4% in Q4 2023, up from the rate of 9.1% recorded 12 months earlier.
There were 29,500 people in long-term unemployment (unemployed for 12 months or longer) in Q4 2023 . This was a decrease of 4,900 people from Q4 2022. The corresponding rate of long-term unemployment was 1.1%, down from 1.3% a year earlier.”
Survey Participation
Commenting on the importance of sampled individuals taking part in the LFS, Sam Scriven, added: “Sampled households receive introductory letters by post asking them to take part in the Labour Force Survey (LFS). A person from a participating household completes the interview either by telephone or by a CSO interviewer visiting the household.
Household surveys give us a picture of the economic and social situation of the citizens of Ireland with a level of accuracy that no one else can gain. If you are asked to take part in a CSO survey, please do so. It means that when CSO figures are quoted you know they’re accurate, because you told us.”