Public sector jobs: A third of applicants did not show up for interview

The rate of attrition was particularly high in Garda recruitment competitions, according to figures released by Publicjobs.ie under the Freedom of Information Act. Picture: iStock

Nearly a third of candidates invited to interview or an online assessment for jobs in the public sector did not show up or withdrew from the process.

Figures from the Publicjobs.ie service show that more than 100,000 applicants were invited to take part in recruitment competitions during 2024 and 2025.