Ireland’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 5.0% in August 2026, unchanged from July and slightly above the 4.9% recorded in August 2025. The total number of unemployed people fell by 1,200 from the previous month but was up by 1,900 year-on-year, reaching 147,100.
By gender, the female unemployment rate inched down to 5.1% in August from 5.2% in July, as the number of unemployed women declined by 1,300 to 72,500. The male unemployment rate remained stable at 4.8%, with the number of unemployed men edging up by 100 to 74,600.
By age group, the youth unemployment rate for those aged 15–24 eased to 12.3% in August from 12.4% in July. Among people aged 25–74, the unemployment rate also fell, to 3.9% from 4.0% a month earlier.
