Workers in Ireland employed by US multinationals increases by almost 35,000 

American Chamber says housing is biggest challenge to future US investment in Ireland 

AmCham chair Liz Cunningham with Taoiseach Micheál Martin at the AmCham 2025 Thanksgiving lunch, sponsored by William Fry, in the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, Dublin. Picture: Conor McCabe Photography 

Housing is the biggest challenge to future investment and expansion by US multinationals in Ireland, according to a survey of members of the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland (AmCham).

The number of people in Ireland employed by US multinationals has increased by almost 35,000 in the past year, and now stands at 245,000. But 33% of US executives in Ireland believe that housing is the greatest challenge for Ireland to overcome in order for their company to invest and expand in Ireland. 

"Housing is the number one challenge for our members and while we welcome Government’s announcement of Housing for All 2, we must emphasise the need for speed in addressing this urgent issue, which we know resonates across all of Irish society," AmCham chief executive Paul Sweetman said.

The statistics in the AmCham survey were released on Thursday at the organisation's 2025 Thanksgiving lunch on Thursday in Dublin, attended by Taoiseach Micheál Martin. The survey also found that 18% of respondents said cost competitiveness is the number one challenge in Ireland, and 16% cited enhancing R&D tax incentives.

Over 970 US multinationals now operate in Ireland and since 2023, the country has moved from the 7th to 5th largest foreign direct investment (FDI) investor into the US.

Over 4 out of 5 member companies said their corporate headquarters continues to have a positive view of Ireland as an investment or growth location based on their company’s experience in Ireland in the last year.

In relation to talent development, while 88% said Ireland’s education and training system is effective in preparing the workforce for future skills needs, 50% of respondents said their organisation is experiencing difficulty filling vacancies in their operations in Ireland, although this is down from 69% in November 2024. 

Some 44% of survey respondents identified the most significant barrier to filling vacancies as being a shortage of specialist skills.