New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that Ireland's unemployment rate in March was 4.7%, up from 4.6% in February.
The CSO data shows that on an annual basis, the unemployment rate is up from 4.5% in March last year.
Today's figures show that the monthly unemployment rate for men at 4.7% was unchanged from February this year, and up from 4.5% in March 2025.
The monthly unemployment rate for women was 4.7%, up from the revised rate of 4.5% last month, and up from 4.6% the same time last year.
The CSO added that the monthly youth unemployment rate rose to 12.5%, up from 12.4% the previous month
According to the CSO, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for all people aged 15-74 years in March 2026 was 4.7%, up from 4.6% in February 2026, and up from 4.5% in March 2025.
Commenting on today's release, Conor Delves, Statistician in the Labour Market Analysis Section, said: "The seasonally adjusted number of people unemployed was 140,000 in March 2026, compared with 138,900 people in February 2026.
"There was a rise of 7,000 in the seasonally adjusted number of people unemployed in March 2026 when compared with March 2025," he added.
Jack Kennedy, senior economist at hiring platform Indeed, said this month's 4.7% figure comes at a time of extreme global volatility amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with the wider impact of the crisis being closely monitored.
"Like other European countries, Ireland is in a relatively good position to absorb some of the initial shock, but a sustained period of high energy costs, inflationary pressure, industrial strain and currency and markets volatility, would be far more challenging," he said.
"In such a scenario, business leaders are likely to halt growth plans and investment decisions, which could have a direct impact on job levels. Meanwhile, employees are likely to demand wage increases as living costs rise," said Mr Kennedy.
He said the latest data from the Indeed's Irish Job Postings Index, a real-time measure of employer demand, shows the level of job postings is down to 2% above the February 1, 2020 pre-pandemic baseline, having been at or close to 8% above the pre-pandemic baseline throughout January and February.
This softening of the jobs market has been ongoing for an extended period and suggests a slowdown in job creation, according to Mr Kennedy.
This is yet to have had a measurable impact on the labour market, which has remained tight due a shortage of workers for existing jobs in many sectors and a high level of employment and labour market participation, he added.
"While there are signs that the conflict in the Middle East may end soon, the fallout from the current hostilities is likely to last many months," he said.
"Policymakers and employers will be hoping that a deescalation is possible in the near to medium-term, which, if maintained, would allow for greater certainty and the return of the conditions needed for growth."
