The unemployment rate increased slightly in July when compared to the previous month, new figures from the Central Statistics Office show.
The seasonally adjusted rate was 4.9%, up from 4.6% in June.
The monthly youth unemployment rate for those aged 15-24 jumped to 12.2%, from 11.3% the previous month.
The rate for those aged 25-74 years increased slightly to 3.8%, from 3.6% in June.
The unemployment rate for males was 5%, and 4.7% for females.
On an annual basis, the unemployment rate increased from 4.5% last July.
“The seasonally adjusted number of people unemployed was 143,100 in July 2025, compared with 134,500 in June 2025,” said Conor Delves, Statistician in the Labour Market Analysis Section at the CSO.
“There was an increase of 12,700 in the seasonally adjusted number of people unemployed in July 2025 when compared with July 2024,” he added.
Andrew Webb, Chief Economist at Grant Thornton Ireland described the rise in unemployment as a “warning light on the economic dashboard”.
“After three months of rate stability, this sharp increase, especially the spike in youth unemployment to 12.2%, suggests that business confidence may be softening,” he said.
He said rising global uncertainty and the growing risk of tariffs are making firms more cautious.
“That hesitation is now showing up in the jobs data.
“Ireland’s labour market remains strong by historical standards, but policymakers should take this signal seriously. If ignored, today’s flicker could become a more persistent fault,” he added.
