Oliver Mangan: Jobs are recovering at a remarkable pace but risks abound over Omicron

The labour force has increased by 170,000 or almost 7% in the past two years, with the participation rate standing at 65%, up sharply from 62.5% in 2019

Grafton Street in Dublin during the lockdown. Core retail sales rose by 10% in the second quarter of the year and a further 5% in quarter three. File Picture

The labour force data for the third quarter of this year published by the CSO provide further evidence of a strong rebound by the Irish economy. 

Employment stood at 2.47m, or 2.37 million when adjusted for Covid, ie, for those with jobs but who had not yet returned to work owing to ongoing Covid restrictions.