Analysis: while employment in Ireland is high compared to other EU countries, fostering labour market mobility could help to mitigate discrimination
Ireland is in a very strong position when it comes to employment numbers. Eurostat data shows that 4.3% of those aged between 20 and 64 years and available for work were unemployed in Ireland in 2023 compared to 6.1% in the European Union as a whole. Gender-wise, this is 4.2% for females and 4.4% for males compared to 6.4% for females and 5.8% for males across the EU.
Ireland is similar to its EU counterparts in terms of youth unemployment, with 10.7% of those aged between 15 and 24 years old being unemployed compared to an EU-wide figure of 14.5%. There are very minor differences when gender is considered.
One key contributor to these employment figures is high education levels with free second and third level education being central to this. Ireland has the highest portion of employed people with a third level education (59%) of all EU countries. Some 28% of Irish employees are classified as being over-qualified for their role (the percentage of people with tertiary education who are employed in occupations for which tertiary education is not required), which is the fourth highest rate in the EU.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland in June 2023, unemployment rate has hit all-time low
The unemployment rate in Ireland of EU/European Free Trade Association (EFTA) citizens who usually reside in another EU/EFTA country is 16.4% compared to the EU average of 21.5%. There is a gender imbalance across the EU with these figures being 27.9% for females and 15.2% for males. However, the difference is even more stark for Ireland where female unemployment is 26.9% compared to male unemployment of 10.3%.
So how can labour markets become more diverse and inclusive? While employment in Ireland is high compared to other EU countries, this can quickly change, as we've seen, due to recessions, pandemics, periods of international conflict and cost of living crises, with vulnerable groups often being the worst affected.
Much can certainly be improved for gender balance. Since employment figures in Ireland are relatively high, improvements in labour market inclusion may centre around stimulating labour market mobility of current employees in organisations as much as focusing on the inclusion of those who are currently outside the labour market. Fostering labour market mobility can also help to mitigate discrimination.
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From RTÉ Brainstorm, why class in the workplace remains a taboo subject in Ireland
A Horizon Europe research project called SYNCLUSIVE aims to develop, implement and evaluate an interdisciplinary approach to promote inflow, retention and further professional development of vulnerable groups in the labour market. The process involves the formation of a group of stakeholders who identify vulnerable groups and possible interventions in the labour market that would support inclusion.
These actions are tested in specific case studies and their suitability for upscaling and implementation in other countries is assessed. For example in Amersfoort in the Netherlands, childcare has been identified as a critical area of focus for supporting migrant women in the labour market. This has a dual benefit, as the sector currently has a staff shortage. The strategy is to provide women who have no qualifications or formal training with the opportunity to learn on the job and develop skills so they can progress in their career, while also staffing the sector.
This gives food for thought for Ireland. With staff shortages and work stress identified as core issues in the childcare sector in Ireland, maybe a similar practical approach to supporting the childcare sector and employment could be adopted? While this would involve some systematic changes, the knock-on effect of improved access to employment with increased childcare supports for parents would greatly aid in creating a more inclusive society.
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The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
