On the 4th November, 2026, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) published the Monthly Unemployment (MU) figures for October 2026. The Monthly Unemployment figures are estimated using trends in the Live Register figures based on data from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and are subject to revision. The Labour Force Survey is published on a quarterly basis by the CSO and provides the official employment and unemployment figures.
According to the latest Monthly Unemployment figures, 143,600 people are unemployed in October 2026, an increase of 4.3% on October 2025. The Monthly Unemployment Rate (MUR) is 4.8%, an increase of 0.1 percentage points (ppts).
The Monthly Unemployment Rate for men remains at 4.7% over the year, and for women it increased by 0.2 ppts to 4.8%. Of the 143,600 people who are unemployed, 47.4%, or 68,100 are women.
Young People
In October 2026, 43,300 people aged 15-24yrs are unemployed, 1,700 more young people than in October 2025, a 3.9% total increase. This age group accounts for 30.2% of all unemployed people. Their MUR is 11.5%, a 0.1 percentage point increase in one year.
Over the year, the unemployment rate amongst young men has decreased by 0.2 percentage points; their MUR has decreased to 11.5%. Unemployment rates amongst young women increased by 0.4 percentage points; their unemployment rate is 11.6%. In October 2026, women account for 46.0% of those unemployed in this age category.
People Aged 25-74yrs
The Monthly Unemployment figure for people aged 25-74yrs is 100,300 in October 2026, an increase of 4.5% since October 2025. Their Monthly Unemployment Rate (MUR) is 3.8% in October 2026, an increase of 0.1 percentage points over the year. In this age category the unemployment rate has decreased by 0.1 ppts to 3.7% for men over the year. Unemployment rates for women decreased by 0.2 ppts to 3.9%. Women account for 48.1% of those unemployed in this age category.