Irish Unemployment Rate Inches Higher

Ireland’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 5.1% in July 2026 from 5.0% in the previous month and was also slightly higher than the 5.0% recorded a year earlier, marking the highest reading since December 2021. The total number of unemployed people increased by 2,800 from the previous month and by 2,600 from a year earlier, reaching 149,900. By gender, the unemployment rate for females edged up to 5.3% from 5.2% in June, with the number of unemployed women rising by 1,800 to 74,300. For males, the jobless rate also ticked up to 4.9% from 4.8%, while the number of unemployed men increased by 1,100 to 75,600. Meanwhile, the youth unemployment rate (ages 15–24) climbed to 12.3% from 11.8% in June, while the rate for those aged 25–74 edged up to 4.1% from 4.0% over the last three months.

Ireland’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 5.0% in June 2026 from a revised 4.9% in the previous month and was up from 4.6% a year earlier, marking the highest rate since March. The total number of unemployed people increased by 3,100 to 145,100. By gender, the unemployment rate for females edged up to 5.4% from 5.3% in May, with the number of unemployed women increasing by 900 to 73,800. For males, the rate also ticked up to 4.6% from 4.5%, with unemployment rising by 2,200 to 71,200. Meanwhile, the youth unemployment rate (ages 15–24) rose to 10.8% from 9.9% in May, while for those aged 25–74, the rate stood at 4.2%.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Ireland inched higher to 4.9% in May of 2026 from 4.8% in the previous month and 4.6% in the previous year, although it remained below this year's peak of 5%. The number of net employment in the Irish economy rose by 1,000 to 141,700. The unemployment rate for the male population was held unchanged at 4.5%, while that for the female population inched higher to 5.3% from 5.2%.