Number of people unemployed in June reaches 145,100 people, new figures show

Youth unemployment rate rises to 10.8%

There were 145,100 people unemployed last month, up by 3,100 from June, seasonally adjusted figures from the Central Statistics Office published on Monday showed.

There were 145,100 people unemployed last month, up by 3,100 from May, seasonally adjusted figures from the Central Statistics Office published on Monday showed.

On an annual basis, the 145,100 figure for June was a rise of 8,900 in the seasonally adjusted number of people unemployed in June 2025. 

In terms of age, the youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) in June 2026 was 10.8%, up from 9.9% in May 2026. The monthly unemployment rate for people aged 25-74 years at 4.2%, unchanged from the May 2026 rate.

“The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for all people aged 15-74 years in June 2026 was 5.0%, up from 4.9% in May 2026, and up from 4.6% in June 2025. In June 2026, the unemployment rate for males was 4.6%, and for females was 5.4%," said CSO statistician Conor Delves. 

"The seasonally adjusted number of unemployed males increased to 71,200 in June 2026, compared with 69,000 in May 2026. The seasonally adjusted number of unemployed females in June 2026 was 73,800, up from 72,900 in May 2026.”

The labour market has softened but an unemployment rate of about 5% still points to stability and to an economy operating close to full employment, said Deloitte Ireland chief economist Kate English.

“The increase from 4.6% a year ago suggests the exceptionally tight labour market of recent years is easing, but the adjustment rate has been gradual. Employment conditions remain resilient by both historical and international standards.

"The labour force survey for Q2 2026 will be a data set to analyse closely towards the end of the summer, as that will help us examine employment trends and tell us whether this represents the start of a more sustained normalisation following a prolonged period of strong employment growth.