The employment rate in Ireland has risen by almost 3 per cent to over 74 per cent, with female participation reaching a record high, new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show.
CSO data reveals that more than 2.7 million people between the age of 15 and 65 were in employment between April and June. This was an increase of 71,000 compared to the same period last year.
Female participation in the workforce hit 61.4 per cent, the highest level recorded since the CSO began tracking this data in 1998.
The CSO figures also show that over 20 per cent of the workforce was engaged in part-time employment. Of these part-time workers, nearly 25 per cent were classified as underemployed, indicating a desire to work more hours for increased pay.
In the 12 months leading up to the end of June, the highest employment rate by age group was among those aged 35-44, at 84.7 per cent.
The lowest employment rate was recorded among 15-19-year-olds, at just 27.3 per cent.