Employment at highest level ever, according to Labour Force Survey
New stats from the CSO show the employment rate is up 3% so far this year while unemployment is down 12.1%.
Almost 2.3 million people in Ireland are now in work.
Full-time employment increased by 2.5% in the third quarter of 2018.
Employment growth has been recorded in the last 25 consecutive quarters.
Chief Economist with KBC Bank Ireland, Austin Hughes, says the numbers are positive: "Employment is still growing fairly rapidly in Ireland.
"A 3% increase compares with a 1% increase in the UK and 1.3% across the Euro area so things are quite healthy.
"It is marginally slower than it was and that could be because of a slow-down globally, Brexit concerns, it could also be because we are running out of workers."
Employment increases by 3.0% in year to Q3 2018https://t.co/ME4fRgnFKf#CSOIreland #Ireland #LabourForceSurvey #Employment #Unemployment #Jobs #LabourMarket pic.twitter.com/652acNoNNe
— Central Statistics Office Ireland (@CSOIreland) November 20, 2018
The figures released today have been welcomed by Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe.
"While there are now more people at work than ever before, the Government’s job does not end here," said Minister Donohoe.
We are now moving into the next phase of Ireland’s economic development.
"We must continue to implement labour market policies to further to support continued participation and engagement with the labour market, while working to safeguard the gains we have made in competitiveness in recent years.
"Increasingly our focus should not only be on job creation alone but also on the sustainability and productivity of jobs into the future."
