People with a third level qualification are more than twice as likely to be working than someone with none, according to figures released by the Central Statistics Office.
The report provides an overview of education attainment from a national as well as a European perspective, and it shows that employment rate increases as education levels rise.
The figures show that people with a third level qualification had an employment rate of 85% in the second quarter of 2017, compared with a rate of 35% for those with primary or no formal education.
Those with primary or no formal education were over four times more likely to be unemployed when compared to those with a third level qualification.
Helen McGrath, statistician with the CSO, explained that labour force participation rates clearly increased as the level of education attainment increased.
"In Q2 2017, those with a third level qualification were more than twice as likely to be in the labour force compared to those with at most primary level education," she said.
According to the CSO, the number of people with a third level qualification is continuing to rise. In the second quarter of 2017, 45% of 25-64 year olds had a third level qualification, compared to 36% in the same period of 2009.
The early school leavers’ rate among 18-24 year olds was 5% in Ireland. Ms McGrath said the early school leaver rate in Ireland has improved. Ireland was ranked seventh lowest in the EU on this indicator in 2016, compared to sixteenth lowest in 2009.
The figures also show that gender differences in educational attainment in favour of women, who are less likely to be classified as early school leavers.
"Females were more likely to have a third level qualification, as 60% of females aged 30-34 had a third level qualification compared to 46% of males of the same age group," Ms McGrath said. "However females were less likely to be employed compared to males, although this gap narrows as the level of education increases."
Ireland had the fourth highest rate, at 53%, of third level qualifications among people aged 30-34 in the EU in 2016.
