Ireland Labour Slack Jumps 0.6 Points as Q1 Employment Rate Drops 0.7 Points
Updated
Updated · Business Plus · Jun 12
Ireland Labour Slack Jumps 0.6 Points as Q1 Employment Rate Drops 0.7 Points
3 articles · Updated · Business Plus · Jun 12
Summary
Ireland posted the EU’s fifth-largest rise in labour market slack in Q1, with the broad underuse measure climbing 0.6 percentage points from late 2025.
Its employment rate also fell 0.7 percentage points — the bloc’s second-steepest drop after Latvia — signaling a softer start to 2026 despite still-strong historical levels.
Across the EU, the broader picture stayed stable: the employment rate edged up to 76.3% from 76.2%, labour market slack slipped to 10.9% from 11.0%, and unemployment held at 5.7%.
The divergence underscored uneven labour conditions across the bloc, with Italy leading employment gains at 0.5 points while Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy and Sweden recorded the biggest slack improvements.