Ireland’s Unemployment Rate Rises to 5% in October — Highest in Over a Year
New figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that Ireland’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 5% in October, up from 4.2% in the same month last year.
The CSO also revised the September rate upwards — from 4.7% to 5.1%.
In October, unemployment was evenly split between men and women, both recording a 5% rate.
Meanwhile, the youth unemployment rate climbed to 13.4% in October, slightly higher than the revised 13.3% figure in September.
According to the CSO, the seasonally adjusted number of people unemployed stood at 147,400 in October, compared with 149,100 in September. This represents an increase of 26,800 people unemployed compared with October 2024.
Commenting on the data, Kate English, Chief Economist at Deloitte Ireland, described the results as a “mixed picture” for Ireland’s labour market.
“The good news is that the unemployment rate remains relatively low at 5% in October 2025. What needs to be watched closely is that it is slowly edging upwards, with an increase of 26,800 persons unemployed over the 12 months to October,” English said.
She noted that the rise in youth unemployment — and last month’s upward revision — also warrant concern, with October marking the highest youth unemployment rate since June 2021.
A total of 48,400 people aged 15–24 are now unemployed, a 23% increase compared with the same period last year.
“This mirrors global trends of rising youth unemployment,” English added. “The Federal Reserve has recently flagged similar challenges in the U.S., particularly around difficulties faced by graduates entering the workforce.”
English suggested several possible factors behind the trend.
“It may reflect weaker demand as companies assess the impact of tariffs. However, other indicators continue to point to economic resilience, so that may not be the main driver. Demographic changes could also be playing a role,” she said.