Ireland unemployment rate steady at 4.6% in February - CSO

Ireland’s unemployment rate was unchanged in February, though joblessness increased compared to a year earlier, data showed on Wednesday.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 4.6% in February, unchanged from the revised January rate, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was up from 4.4% in February 2025.

The number of people unemployed was 137,500 in February, down slightly from 137,800 in January. On an annual basis, this represented an increase of 8,300 from 129,200 a year earlier.

Breaking the figures down by sex, the male unemployment rate fell to 4.7% in February from 4.8% in January, though it was higher than the 4.4% recorded in February 2025. The female unemployment rate declined to 4.4% from 4.5% in January and from 4.5% a year before.

Youth unemployment rose during the month. The rate for those aged 15 to 24 increased to 12.4% from a revised 11.9% in January. The unemployment rate for those aged 25 to 74 slipped to 3.5% from 3.6%.

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