CSO says 149,500 unemployed in September as rate stays at 5% ahead of Budget

The rate of unemployment in Ireland in September stood at 5%, unchanged from August but up slightly year on year, according to data published by the CSO on Wednesday.

The rate of unemployment in Ireland in September stood at 5%, unchanged from August but up slightly year on year, according to data published by the CSO on Wednesday.

The seasonally adjusted number of people unemployed was 149,500 in September 2026, compared with 148,600 in August 2026. There was a rise of 5,800 in the seasonally adjusted number of people unemployed in September 2026 when compared with September 2025.

Unemployment has not breached the 5% mark since January 2022.

The youth unemployment rate for people aged 15 to 24 years was 12.5%, up from a revised rate of 12.4% in August, while the monthly unemployment rate for people aged 25 to 74 years was unchanged at 4.0% from the revised rate in August 2026.

"With hiring demand stabilising and unemployment remaining low, attention is turning to how Budget 2027 can help sustain employment growth through a more uncertain economic period. Against a backdrop of ongoing global trade tensions, economic uncertainty and inflationary pressure, employees and employers will be looking for measures that support incomes and continued job creation," said Jack Kennedy, senior economist with hiring platform Indeed. 

Deloitte Ireland chief economist Kate English said Wednesday's unemployment figure of 5% "reaffirms that Ireland’s economy is resilient and with it largely unchanged since the start of 2026, this also reflects stability. In a macro-economic environment filled with uncertainty and higher costs, this is positive.

“As we enter the final quarter of 2026, focus will switch from the unemployment rate to the volume of jobs being added to the economy. The pace of growth here has slowed over the past year and the Central Bank of Ireland has forecast that it will rise by 1.2% this year.

“Despite this, it is still important to highlight that we continue to have skills shortages throughout the economy, in particular in critical areas such as construction.”

EY Ireland chief economist Rossa White cautioned that while data suggests the wider economy is growing steadily, "higher inflation and interest rates are probably yet to fully bite".

Breaking down the results by sex, the monthly unemployment rate for males in September was 4.9%, up from 4.8% in August, and unchanged from the September 2025 revised rate. The rate was 5.2% for females, unchanged from the revised rate in August, and up from 4.8% in September.