Employment in the Irish economy has increased by 50 per cent since the low point of the financial crisis, one of the strongest rates of job creation seen anywhere in the world and second only to Malta in Europe.<\/p>\n
According to figures supplied by employers\u2019 group Ibec, headline employment in the Republic rose from 1.86 million in the first quarter of 2012 to 2.79 million in the first quarter of 2025, equating to an increase of 931,000.<\/p>\n
That was significantly higher than rates of employment growth in the EU and euro zone as a whole, which were 12 and 13 per cent respectively.<\/p>\n
It was also well ahead of countries such as Germany, where employment rose by 10 per cent from 38.6 million to 42.7 million, and France, where employment rose by 14 per cent from 25.6 million to 29.2 million.<\/p>\n
Ireland\u2019s employment trajectory was only eclipsed \u2013 in EU terms \u2013 by Malta, which enjoyed a 93 per cent hike.<\/p>\n
However, the Maltese labour market is considerably smaller than Ireland\u2019s, comprising just 328,000 workers.<\/p>\n
New figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), published last week, show employment in the Irish economy rose further in the second quarter of this year, to a record 2.8 million.<\/p>\n
That is equivalent to the entire population of the State in 1961.<\/p>\n
Despite the current uncertainty caused by US tariffs, labour demand in the Irish economy remains strong and is being facilitated by two dynamics: immigration<\/a> and greater participation, particularly among women.<\/p>\n