The number of persons aged 15-74 years who were unemployed increased by 5,100 (4.5%) to 117,700 in the year to Q4 2023, using standard International Labour Organisation (ILO) criteria. The seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate for persons aged 15-74 years increased from 4.1% to 4.2% over the year to Q4 2023. See Table 2.1.
Unemployment increased by 2,400 (+4.2%) for males to 60,100 in the year to Q4 2023 – this compares with a rise of 2,700 (+4.9%) to 57,600 for females over the same period. The unemployment rate for males was 4.1% in Q4 2023 up from 4.0% a year earlier while the corresponding rate for females were 4.3% in both Q4 2023 and Q4 2022.
The unemployment rate for those aged 15-24 years, known as the Youth Unemployment Rate, stood at 9.4% in Q4 2023 up from 9.1% in Q4 2022. See Table 2.2.
73.4%* of unemployed persons in Q4 2023 were in short-term unemployment (less than one year). Over the year to Q4 2023, short-term unemployment rose by 11,100 (+15.8%) to 81,500 while there was decrease of 4,900 (-14.2%) in the numbers of long-term unemployed to 29,500. See Table 3.2.
*excluding ‘Not stated’
The long-term unemployment rate decreased from 1.3% to 1.1% in Q4 2023. Over a quarter (26.6%)* of unemployed persons were in long-term unemployment in Q4 2023 which is down from 32.8%* a year earlier. See Table 3.2.
*excluding ‘Not stated’
On an annual basis, unemployment increased in five out of eight NUTS 3 regions.
Three of the NUTS 3 regions showed an decrease in unemployment over the year to Q4 2023. The largest decrease occurred in the South-East region (-2,000) or -16.4%.
