Unemployment rate fell slightly last month, says CSO

In April, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.8%, down 5,900 from March

There were 140,300 out of work in Ireland last month, according to the Central Statistics Office, with the unemployment rate falling slightly from March.

There were 140,300 out of work in Ireland last month, according to the Central Statistics Office, with the unemployment rate falling slightly from March.

In April, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.8%, down 5,900 from the rate of 5.0% in March 2026. On an annual basis, the unemployment rate increased from 4.6% in April 2025 to 4.8% in April 2026.

The monthly unemployment rate for males at 4.5% in April 2026 was down from 4.7% in both March 2026 and April 2025. The monthly unemployment rate in April 2026 was 5.2% for females, a decrease from the revised rate of 5.3% in March 2026, and up from a revised rate of 4.4% in April 2025.

"The seasonally adjusted number of unemployed males decreased to 69,200 in April 2026, compared with 72,700 in March 2026. The seasonally adjusted number of unemployed females in April 2026 was 71,200, down from 73,500 in March 2026," said CSO statistician Conor Delves.

Youth unemployment - those aged 15 to 24 - was highest in April, at 9.8%, but down from a revised rate of 11.2% in March 2026. The monthly unemployment rate for people aged 25-74 years was 4.1%, a decline from a revised rate of 4.2% in March 2026.