7th Jan 2026 11:23
(Alliance News) - Ireland's unemployment rate held steady in December, remaining at 5.0% for a second consecutive month, as joblessness rose slightly on the year, official data showed on Wednesday.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in December was unchanged from November but higher than the 4.5% recorded a year earlier, according to the Central Statistics Office. November's unemployment rate was revised up from 4.9%.
The number of people unemployed edged up to 148,700 in December from 147,300 in November, and was 19,700 higher than in December 2024.
By gender, male unemployment increased to 5.1% in December from 5.0% in November and 4.8% a year earlier. The female unemployment rate eased to 4.9% from 5.0% in November but remained above the 4.1% recorded in December 2024.
Youth unemployment worsened, with the jobless rate for those aged 15 to 24 rising to 14% in December. The unemployment rate for those aged 25 to 74 was unchanged at 3.8%.
In absolute terms, the seasonally adjusted number of unemployed males rose to 79,600 in December from 77,700 in November, while the number of unemployed females slipped slightly to 69,100 from 69,600.
By Eva Castanedo, Alliance News reporter
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