Labour Force Survey (LFS) results just published by the Central Statistics Office show a continued recovery from the pandemic in Ireland’s labour market, with 205,500 jobs created in the year to Q2 2022, approx. 40,000 relating to construction specifically in the period.

National employment now stands at 2.55m, an increase of approximately 9% over Q2 2021.

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is the official source of labour market statistics for Ireland including the official measures of employment and unemployment. These official measures are based on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) concepts and definitions. The ILO measures are the international standard, and all EU Member States are legally obliged to compile and provide this data to Eurostat on a quarterly basis.

The increase in employment in Q2 2022 maintains the strong momentum in job creation that began in early 2021. This is reflective of the success of the Government’s efforts to help workers and businesses during the pandemic, the successful rollout of the vaccination programme and the focus of driving a labour market recovery set out in the Economic Recovery Plan.

Commenting on the figures, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar T.D., said: “More people are employed in Ireland now than ever before. The unemployment rate in July of this year was the lowest it’s been in 21-years. That is incredible given where we were a couple of years ago, with the pandemic and Brexit, and the current challenges we are now facing with Putin’s war and inflation. It is a testament to the hard work and remarkable resilience of Irish enterprise.

“We set out to create the right environment, the right help, to support job creation in every county in the country, so that no matter where anyone wants to work, there’s a job for them in their nearest city, town or village. So, I’m particularly pleased to see that jobs have grown in all parts of the country, with a significant increase outside of Dublin.

“The bounce back in the hospitality sector is another highlight. Although not yet back to where it once was, employment in the Accommodation and Food Service sector increased by 40% in the past 12 months. The last two years have been especially challenging for businesses and workers in that sector, but it appears our strong policy interventions during the pandemic – effectively keeping workers attached to employment – has minimised any long-term scaring.

“I know these results don’t tell the lived experience for all businesses and that some are still really struggling, especially with increased costs, and we will continue to help, with our existing schemes, but also by introducing new measures in the upcoming Budget to help with what will be a difficult Winter ahead.

“As we approach full employment too, the Government is mindful of the need to help businesses recruit talent with the right skills. We continue to provide thousands of additional re-skilling and upskilling opportunities, as set out in the Economic Recovery Plan, while my Department operates an employment permit system which is highly responsive to areas of identified skills needs and labour shortages across the economy.”