January unemployment unchanged from previous month as labour market set to remain competitive 

Latest figures from the CSO show steady increase from unemployment low of 4.1% last year

Youth unemployment, which reflects those aged between 15 and 24, increased to 12.1% in January from 11.5% the previous month. Picture Denis Minihane.

The rate of unemployment remained unchanged in January from the previous month at 4.5%, with steady rises since May 2023 reflecting a "modest softening" of Ireland's labour market.

New unemployment figures from the Central Statistics Office also show a slight annual increase of 0.1% when compared to January 2023.