Unemployment rate rises to 5% in June - CSO

Michael Bolton

The unemployment rate in the country rose to five per cent in June, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

This has risen compared to the unemployment rate of 4.6 per cent in June 2025, and up from 4.9 per cent in May this year.

The monthly unemployment rate for men in June 2026 was 4.6 per cent, up from 4.5 per cent in May 2026, and down from a revised rate of 4.8 per cent in June 2025.

The monthly unemployment rate in June 2026 was 5.4 per cent for women, an increase from 5.3 per cent in May 2026, and up from 4.4 per cent in June 2025.

The unemployment rate for people aged 15-24 years (Youth Unemployment Rate) was 10.8 per cent, up from 9.9 per cent in May 2026.

The unemployment rate for people aged 25-74 years at 4.2 per cent, unchanged from the May 2026 rate.

Lisa Feist, economist at hiring platform Indeed, comments on the latest CSO data: "This is the fourth month this year in which the unemployment rate has reached or surpassed five per cent, having been 5% in January, February and March.

"The latest data from Indeed’s Irish Job Postings Index, a real-time measure of employer demand, shows the level of job postings has continued to decrease this year. Postings are now 2.3 per cent below their 1 February 2020, pre-pandemic baseline, as of 19 June 2026, having fallen around 11 per cent over the past year.

"While Ireland's labour market has remained resilient to global shocks in recent months, attention has turned again to more domestic developments in June, which saw several legislative milestones for workplaces.

"Ireland's delay in implementing the EU Pay Transparency Directive in June means mandatory salary disclosure is still some way off for Irish jobseekers.

"Only 36 per cent of Irish job ads on Indeed currently share the salary, yet according to our survey data, 82 per cent of jobseekers say they would be more likely to apply for a role which included the salary upfront.

"This mismatch offers an easy win for employers who start publishing pay ranges now, ahead of enforcement measures, allowing them to get a meaningful head start on candidate trust at zero cost.

"Another key development is the passage of the Retirement Age Bill, which could help ease skills shortages by simply allowing experienced workers to remain in employment for longer.

"As Ireland's workforce continues to age, measures that encourage greater workforce participation could help employers retain valuable skills and experience at a time when many sectors continue to face recruitment challenges."