Every quarter, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) releases its employment figures. They’re essential reading, but they often feel like tackling a Leaving Cert maths exam paper. Pages of percentages, charts, and ratios that are tricky to translate into everyday life.
At Red Chair Recruitment, we prefer to keep it simple. We’ve taken the September 2025 CSO release and pulled out the key takeaways, with an eye on what they mean for people looking for work, and for businesses trying to hire.
Employment Remains at Record Highs
There are now 2.82 million people in work in Ireland. That’s nearly 64,000 more jobs than last year, a 2.3% rise.
The employment rate for 15–64-year-olds is 74.7%, one of the highest ever recorded. In other words, Ireland has never had more people in work.
Unemployment Ticks Up, But So Does the Workforce
The unemployment rate has nudged up to 4.8% (from 4.6% in 2024). At first glance that seems like a backward step. But the bigger picture tells a different story: the labour force has grown by more than 73,000 people.
So yes, more people are job hunting, but we also have a larger, more active workforce going into 2026. That’s a sign of confidence.
Regional Growth: Big Opportunities Beyond Dublin
One of the most encouraging trends is how strong employment growth has been outside Dublin.
Jobs beyond the capital rose by 56,100 (+2.9%), with Munster in particular is thriving across multiple sectors.
Here in Kerry, we’ve seen demand in hospitality, tourism, engineering, manufacturing, healthcare, and construction. It means people don’t have to head up the motorway to Dublin to find career opportunities — they’re right here on our doorstep.
Which Sectors Are Driving Growth?
The CSO figures highlight a few standout sectors:
- Construction: +29,600 jobs (+18.4%) — housing, roads, and big infrastructure projects are powering growth.
- Health & Social Work: +14,500 jobs (+3.9%) — continued strong demand across hospitals, care services, and community roles.
- Information & Communication: -7,700 jobs (-4.1%) — some cooling in tech, especially programming and consultancy.
Closer to home, we’ve also seen hospitality and tourism continue to rebound, while engineering and manufacturing roles are consistently in demand across Kerry and the wider Munster region.
What This Means for 2026
- Employers: With record-high employment, competition for talent isn’t easing any time soon. Clear job descriptions, a fast hiring process, and strong employer branding will matter more than ever.
- Jobseekers: Construction and healthcare are where the biggest opportunities lie, but don’t overlook hospitality, engineering and manufacturing. They are all growing strongly here in Kerry and Munster.
- Regions: Dublin is no longer the only show in town. 2026 will bring even more opportunities locally, making “stay closer to home” a real option for career growth.
Red Chair’s Take
The numbers show an Ireland that’s still hiring, still evolving, and still creating opportunities. As we head into 2026, our role at Red Chair is to make sure those opportunities are within reach, whether that’s helping jobseekers take the next step in their career, or supporting employers to find and keep the best people.
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