Ireland’s unemployment rate edged up to 4.2 per cent in October, a slight increase from September’s near-record low of 4.1 per cent, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
This uptick comes as the September unemployment rate was revised down from an initial estimate of 4.3%.
Breaking down the figures by gender, the jobless rate for men rose to 4.1 per cent in October, up slightly from a revised 4 per cent in September. However, this marks an improvement compared to October last year when the male unemployment rate was 4.4 per cent.
The unemployment rate for women held steady at 4.3 per cent in October, unchanged from September, and down from 4.6 per cent in October 2023, indicating a year-on-year improvement in employment among women.
Youth unemployment saw a slight increase, rising to 10.6 per cent in October from a revised 10.4 per cent in September, highlighting a continuing challenge in the younger demographic.
In total, the seasonally adjusted number of unemployed people in Ireland was 121,200 in October, up slightly from 120,000 in September but reflecting a year-on-year decrease of 5,900 compared to October 2023, the CSO noted.