Non-Irish nationals accounted for 61% of the growth in the number of employees in Ireland between 2019 and 2024, according to Ireland’s Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The number of employees grew by more than 355,000 during the period, according to the CSO’s report, Business in Ireland 2025 – Labour Market and Social Sustainability. Non-Irish nationals contributed 218,261 of that increase.
In 2024, non-Irish nationals represented 27.5% of total employees, with the highest concentrations found in administrative and support services, accommodation and food services, and information and communication.
Total employment in Ireland reached 2.8 million people as of the fourth quarter of 2025, the CSO added.
Human health and social work activities accounted for the largest share of employment, at 13.9%, followed by industry excluding construction, at 12.5%.
Information and communication
The report also highlighted how Ireland’s labour market differs from the wider European Union, particularly in the information and communication sector. The sector accounted for 6.7% of employments in Ireland in 2024, compared with an EU average of 3.5%.
In addition, US-owned companies accounted for 9% of employees in the enterprise economy in 2023, but represented around 17% of total employee earnings. In the information and communication sector, US-owned enterprises accounted for 59.1% of earnings.
‘Economic and social perspective’
“Sustainability is of increasing importance to enterprises, in terms of meeting environmental regulations and expectations, but also from an economic and social perspective,” commented Morgan O’Donnell, statistician in the CSO’s Sustainability, Circular Economy & Transport division.
“There is increasing national and international recognition that economic growth alone is not a sufficient measure of success, and that long term prosperity depends on achieving a balanced integration of economic, environmental, and social outcomes. […] Enterprise sustainability, including competitiveness and resilience, can be impacted by dynamics in the labour market. How the enterprise economy attracts and creates employment, pays wages, and provides good quality working conditions impacts on their business operations. These activities also support the long-term well-being of workers and wider society.” Read more here.
