Skills use is measured using standardised indices developed through Item Response Theory (IRT). Higher scores indicate more frequent use of the skill. For further information on skills use indices and how proficiency is measured please see Background Notes.
One-third (33%) of Irish workers were over-skilled, significantly above the OECD average of 26%, while only 7% were under-skilled in 2023.
Under-qualification was more common in Ireland (13%) than the OECD average (9%).
Measuring skills using an index score, manual skills were used most frequently in Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing (4.8) and Accommodation & Food Service Activities (4.5) sectors.
Information & Communication Technology (ICT) use was highest in the ICT sector (3.2) and lowest in the Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing sector (1.4).
ICT use peaked at age 25–34 (2.5), while physical work was most common among 16-24 year olds (3.8).
Adults aged 25–34 reported the highest ICT use at home (2.8); those aged 55-65 reported the lowest (1.9).
Third-level graduates used reading and writing skills at home more frequently than those with lower education levels.
In 2023, adults with higher proficiency in literacy, numeracy, and Adaptive Problem Solving (APS) reported significantly better outcomes in political influence, social trust, and volunteering.
The data presented in this release is based on Ireland’s participation in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), Round 2 (2023). PIAAC assesses the proficiency of adults aged 16–65 in literacy, numeracy, and adaptive problem solving (APS), and collects extensive background data on education, employment, skills use, and social outcomes.
Learn about our data and confidentiality safeguards, and the steps we take to produce statistics that can be trusted by all.
Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (25 August 2025) published the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) 2023 – Skills Use and Social Outcomes release.
Commenting on the release, Kevin Healy, Statistician in the Social Analysis Division, said: "This release examines how Irish adults applied their skills in daily life and work, and the relationship between literacy, numeracy, and adaptive problem solving proficiency and a range of social outcomes. The data presented is based on Ireland’s participation in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) Round 2 (2023), compiled from information collected from Irish households between September 2022 and June 2023.
Our findings show one-third (33%) of Irish workers aged 25-65 were over-skilled for their jobs, a rate significantly higher than the OECD average of 26%. Conversely, only 7% of workers report being under-skilled, which is significantly below the OECD average of 10%. However, when under-skilling was reported, it is most frequently in computer or software skills (51%) and team-working or leadership skills (26%). In terms of qualification mismatch, 23% of workers were over-qualified, while 13% were under-qualified, with this under-qualification rate being significantly higher than the OECD average.
Looking at skills use, ICT use at work peaked among those aged 25 to 34 and was most prevalent in the Information & Communication sector (3.2 on the index scale). In contrast, physical work (3.8) was most common among the youngest workers from 16 to 24 years and within the Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing sector (4.8). Furthermore, there was a link between the level of education completed and skill use, with third-level graduates consistently reporting higher use of information-processing skills both at work (2.6) and at home (2.7).
Finally, the release reveals a positive relationship between adults' information-processing skills and social outcomes. Adults with higher proficiency in literacy, numeracy, and adaptive problem solving reported significantly better outcomes in areas such as political influence, social trust, and volunteering. For example, adults with high social trust, which is when people are generally trusting of others, achieved an average numeracy score of 270 points, compared with 240 points for those with low social trust."