Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 September 2021
185. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the extent to which employment has fluctuated over the past two years to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44178/21]
View answerEmployment in Ireland in Q4 2019, just before the outbreak of the pandemic, was 2.357 million. Not counting those on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) as employed, employment then fell to a low of 1.698 million in Q2 2020 as a result of restrictions introduced to stop the spread of COVID-19. Employment recovered in Q3 2020 as restrictions were lifted but fell again in Q4 2020 and and Q1 2021 as restrictions were re-introduced. By the end of Q1 2021 employment was 1.786 million. The employment rate (share of persons aged 15-64 in employment) has fallen from 70.1% before the pandemic to 52.0% in Q1 2021.
Table 1: Employment and employment rate by quarter, 2019-2021
|
|
2019Q1 |
2019Q2 |
2019Q3 |
2019Q4 |
2020Q1 |
2020Q2 |
2020Q3 |
2020Q4 |
2021Q1 |
|
Persons aged 15 years and over in employment (COVID adjusted from Q1 2020)* |
2,298 |
2,296 |
2,323 |
2,357 |
1,953 |
1,698 |
2,033 |
1,902 |
1,786 |
|
Employment rate - 15-64 years (%) (COVID adjusted from Q1 2020)* |
69.2 |
69.0 |
69.5 |
70.1 |
57.5 |
49.7 |
59.7 |
55.5 |
52.0 |
Source: CSO, Labour Force Survey
* Since Q1 2020 the Central Statistics Office (CSO) has compiled LFS estimates to the usual ILO standards and separate COVID-19 adjusted estimates. The COVID adjusted employment is calculated by subtracting those who were in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) at the end of each quarter. This approach preserves the methodology of the LFS while at the same time providing transparency around the impact of COVID-19 on the Labour Market within Ireland.
