Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) employment continued to grow in 2020 despite the impact of COVID-19. The numbers directly employed in the multinational sector in Ireland grew to 257,394.
Throughout 2020 IDA Ireland won 246 new investments resulting in the creation of 20,123 new jobs. Of these, 95 investments were from new investors and 151 investments from existing companies. Over half (128) of the 246 projects won were for regional locations. The total number employed by IDA Ireland client companies in 2020, by county, is shown in tabular form as follows:
County
|
Total Employed by IDA Client Companies
|
Carlow
|
1,309
|
Cavan
|
1,200
|
Clare
|
6,726
|
Cork
|
43,856
|
Donegal
|
3,812
|
Dublin
|
112,705
|
Galway
|
21,428
|
Kerry
|
2,153
|
Kildare
|
9,500
|
Kilkenny
|
697
|
Laois
|
135
|
Leitrim
|
966
|
Limerick
|
13,263
|
Longford
|
1,160
|
Louth
|
4,372
|
Mayo
|
4,955
|
Meath
|
1,920
|
Monaghan
|
322
|
Offaly
|
1,237
|
Roscommon
|
1,312
|
Sligo
|
2,351
|
Tipperary
|
4,180
|
Waterford
|
7,875
|
Westmeath
|
3,776
|
Wexford
|
3,580
|
Wicklow
|
2,604
|
Grand Total
|
257,394
|
Additionally, eight jobs are created in the wider economy for every ten created by IDA Ireland client companies, amounting to estimated total direct and indirect employment of 463,309.
Reflecting the ambition of the Government’s National Economic Plan, IDA Ireland’s new Strategy Driving Recovery & Sustainable Growth 2021 - 2024 identifies the opportunities for sustainable growth among IDA’s established base of clients through a focus on transformative investments to increase the productivity of Irish operations and their workforce through RD&I, digitisation, training and actions on sustainability.
The Strategy will target 800 investments and 50,000 new jobs with focus on five key pillars – Growth, Transformation, Regions, Sustainability and Impact. 400 of the 800 investments objective in new strategy are targeted at regional locations.