Irish Unemployment Rises to 4.9% in May 2026, Affecting 141,700 People

Ireland's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 4.9 per cent in May 2026, up from 4.8 per cent in April 2026 and 4.6 per cent in May 2025. This brought the total number of unemployed people to 141,700, an increase of 7,200 year-on-year.

Women experienced a higher monthly unemployment rate at 5.3 per cent in May, compared to 4.4 per cent in May 2025 and 5.2 per cent in April. Conversely, men's unemployment rate fell to 4.5 per cent from 4.8 per cent a year prior. Youth unemployment (ages 15-24) rose to 9.9 per cent, while the rate for those aged 25-74 remained at 4.2 per cent.

Jack Kennedy, senior economist at Indeed, noted this slight increase signals a softening in the Irish labour market. Job postings have decreased by 3.2 per cent below pre-pandemic levels, with significant declines in retail, food service, sales, and personal care. Tech companies like Meta and Oracle have also announced job cuts among Irish staff.