NERI Seminar: The Irish labour market: Recent developments and future growth

NERI Seminar: The Irish labour market: Recent developments and future growth

Humanities, Social Sciences & Thought Economics & Finance KCEconomicsKCFLabour
🎙 Enda Keenan 👥 135 📅 September 17, 2026 ⏱ 45 min 👁 6 📄 original study 🧭 2026-09-17
Available in: English (current) Français

Keywords

labour marketIrelandparticipation ratemigrationunemployment

Summary

Enda Keenan presents a detailed analysis of the Irish labour market, covering recent developments since the pandemic and future growth prospects. He highlights a rapid expansion in employment post-2020, driven by increased female participation and net inward migration, leading to record-high labour force participation rates. The presentation notes a recent moderation in employment growth and a slight uptick in unemployment, suggesting easing of labour market tightness. A key challenge is the divergence between the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and monthly payroll data; Keenan discusses potential reasons including differences in coverage, household versus payroll definitions, and the treatment of communal accommodation residents, particularly Ukrainian refugees. He also addresses sectoral shifts, with growth concentrated in health, ICT, and professional services, and notes a decline in ICT employment recently though levels remain above pre-pandemic. Future outlook incorporates demographic trends, with Ireland having one of the youngest populations in the Euro area, and scenarios from CSO and Department of Finance projections, which track the highest migration scenario. Keenan emphasises the impact of migration on employment growth, with two-thirds of net employment growth since 2023 coming from non-Irish citizens. He concludes with considerations for forecasting, including structural changes like remote working and underemployment, and notes that participation gains do not necessarily equate to better job quality.

211 words

Critical Evaluation

Value of the Information & Strength of the Argument

The presentation offers significant value by dissecting complex labour market data and reconciling conflicting indicators. Keenan systematically compares LFS and payroll data, providing a thorough list of methodological reasons for discrepancies, which is highly informative for economists and policymakers. The argumentation is clear and evidence-based, using charts and data from the CSO and Central Bank projections. He carefully distinguishes between observed trends and potential interpretations, and acknowledges uncertainties, particularly regarding migration and future demographic effects. The discussion on underemployment and hours worked adds nuance, stressing that participation rate increases may mask job quality issues. The presentation is well-structured, moving from historical context to current trends and future challenges, and the Q&A section (not included in transcript) likely addressed further points.

Scientific Rigor, Source Quality, Title Accuracy

The presentation demonstrates strong scientific rigour: it relies on official data from the CSO (Labour Force Survey, monthly payroll, population projections) and references Central Bank of Ireland’s quarterly bulletins and boxes. No external sources are explicitly cited in the video description, but the presenter references specific publications and data from the Central Bank and Eurosystem. The methodology is transparent, with attention to limitations and assumptions. The title accurately reflects the content, and the presentation aligns with expectations. There is no indication of promotional content or sponsorship.

221 words

Title / Content Match

The title accurately reflects the content: a seminar discussing recent Irish labour market developments and future growth.

Quality & Reliability

8/10

Presentation by a central bank economist with data-driven analysis; reliable but limited to Irish context and with some speculative future projections.

Key Moments

Contribution & Novelties

The video provides an in-depth, up-to-date analysis of the Irish labour market, offering a rare reconciliation of conflicting statistical measures. It contributes insights into the role of migration in driving labour force participation and the structural reasons behind data discrepancies. For economists and analysts, it offers a framework for interpreting labour market indicators and anticipating future challenges from demographic changes.

Pour aller plus loin :

  • Labour Force Survey (Ireland) — Overview of the survey methodology and its role in measuring employment.
  • Net migration rate — Definition and significance of net migration in population and labour dynamics.
  • Population projection — Concepts and methods used to forecast future population, relevant to the CSO and Department of Finance scenarios discussed.

117 words

Radar Profile

The radar chart shows a well-balanced profile with high scores in information quantity, quality, and reliability, and a slightly lower but still solid score in technical level. This indicates a data-dense, authoritative presentation suitable for an audience with some economics background.

Reliability 8/10