Number of Irish workers who cannot afford an annual holiday is highest in the EU

Figures show social progress being reversed as a result of increased economic inequality, European Trade Union Confederation says

'While the wealthy CEOs who caused profit-driven inflation were sunning themselves in luxury resorts at the height of the cost-of-living crisis, a single week’s holiday was beyond the means of 40 million hardworking people and their families, who struggled just to put food on the table.'

The number of workers in Ireland who cannot afford a week's holiday, either at home or abroad, has increased, according to new research. Analysis of EU data for the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has found in 2022, an estimated 14.8% of Irish workers could not afford a week's holiday. 

This represented an almost 4% increase on the previous year’s figure, showing Ireland recorded the highest percentage point increase across the EU.