In August 2026, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.0%, unchanged from the July 2026 revised rate and up from 4.9% in August 2025.
Breaking down the results by sex, the monthly unemployment rate for males in August 2026 was 4.8%, unchanged from the revised rate in July 2026, and down from 5.0% in August 2025.
The monthly unemployment rate in August 2026 was 5.1% for females, a drop from a revised rate of 5.2% in July 2026, and up from 4.9% in August 2025.
In terms of age, the monthly unemployment rate for people aged 15 to 24 years (Youth Unemployment Rate) was 12.3%, down from a revised rate of 12.4% in July 2026.
The monthly unemployment rate for people aged 25 to 74 years at 3.9%, was down from a revised rate of 4.0% in July 2026.
The methodology for the Monthly Unemployment involves forecasting the number of persons who are unemployed using the trend in the recipient Live Register series. The Department of Social Protection is providing Working Age Income supports to people arriving in Ireland from Ukraine under the Temporary Protection Directive. The Live Register series includes recipients of these supports who have met the relevant criteria. This has impacted on the numbers of unemployed, primarily females, in these monthly estimates.
From 9 September 2024 beneficiaries of EU’s Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) living in Designated Accommodation Centres no longer qualify for Jobseeker’s Allowance and thus are no longer enumerated on the Live Register – see Background Notes.
Data in this release are subject to revision based on updates to the seasonally adjusted series whenever new monthly data are added. In addition, it should be noted that larger revisions can occur when the most recent Labour Force Survey (LFS) data are included in the calculation process.
The Monthly Unemployment published today for August 2026 have incorporated the LFS benchmarks up to Q2 2026 for the monthly estimates up to June 2026. The estimates for July and August 2026 have been forecasted. Forecasted figures are subject to revision.
| Seasonally Adjusted Monthly Unemployment | |||
| Number of persons unemployed | Unemployment rate (%) | ||
| August 2025 | 145,200 | 4.9 | |
| July 2026 | 148,300 | 5.0 | |
| August 2026 | 147,100 | 5.0 | |
| Number | Percentage points | ||
| Change in month | -1,200 | 0.0 | |
| Change in year | 1,900 | 0.1 | |
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (02 September 2026) published Monthly Unemployment results for August 2026.
Commenting on today’s release, Conor Delves, Statistician in the Labour Market Analysis Section, said: “The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for all people aged 15 to 74 years in August 2026 was 5.0%, unchanged from the July rate and up from 4.9% in August 2025. In August 2026, the unemployment rate for males was 4.8%, and for females was 5.1%.
The seasonally adjusted number of people unemployed was 147,100 in August 2026, compared with 148,300 in July 2026. There was a rise of 1,900 in the seasonally adjusted number of people unemployed in August 2026 when compared with August 2025.
The seasonally adjusted number of unemployed males increased to 74,600 in August 2026, compared with 74,500 in July 2026. The seasonally adjusted number of unemployed females in August 2026 was 72,500, down from 73,800 in July 2026.”
The Monthly Unemployment provides timely flash estimates of those actively seeking employment each month by sex and age. While it is not the official measure of unemployment in Ireland, which is calculated separately in our Labour Force Survey, it provides valuable information on the unemployment rate and volume.
This release is based on administrative data provided to us by the Department of Social Protection, Labour Force Survey forecasted data and Labour Force Survey data once it becomes available. See our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for more information on survey data and administrative data.