The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is the official source of estimates of labour force (ILO) in the State. This survey replaced the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) from Q3 2017.
The most recent LFS figures available are for Q1 2018.
The following three tables show the labour force participation rates for persons aged 15 years and over by sex, age group and the highest level of education attained, in Q1 2018 for Ireland, the EU 15 and the EU 28.
Table 1 Labour Force participation rates of persons aged 15 years and over by sex, age group and highest level of education attained, Q1 2018 - Ireland
Ireland
|
15-19
|
20-24
|
25-34
|
35-44
|
45-54
|
55-59
|
60-64
|
65+
|
15-64
|
15-74
|
15 years and over
|
Males
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Less than primary, primary and lower secondary education
|
10.4
|
[39.0]
|
70.8
|
76.2
|
76.6
|
66.6
|
56.0
|
16.7
|
51.4
|
45.4
|
40.1
|
Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education
|
56.9
|
65.1
|
90.0
|
92.0
|
88.8
|
81.8
|
70.6
|
19.3
|
81.6
|
77.7
|
75.3
|
Tertiary education
|
*
|
84.3
|
93.8
|
97.2
|
94.8
|
89.6
|
70.1
|
20.7
|
92.9
|
88.0
|
85.8
|
No response
|
*
|
*
|
85.9
|
89.8
|
78.0
|
*
|
*
|
11.0
|
80.5
|
75.5
|
72.4
|
All ISCED 2011 levels
|
23.7
|
68.0
|
90.0
|
92.3
|
87.8
|
78.6
|
64.1
|
17.9
|
78.3
|
72.3
|
68.2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Females
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Less than primary, primary and lower secondary education
|
9.8
|
[34.5]
|
48.2
|
40.2
|
41.0
|
39.2
|
27.9
|
3.8
|
27.8
|
23.0
|
18.6
|
Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education
|
42.2
|
61.0
|
71.4
|
73.2
|
67.7
|
63.0
|
50.2
|
9.5
|
65.1
|
60.4
|
57.6
|
Tertiary education
|
*
|
82.6
|
88.3
|
86.1
|
86.3
|
78.1
|
57.3
|
10.5
|
84.5
|
80.2
|
77.8
|
No response
|
*
|
*
|
[77.9]
|
70.8
|
[53.6]
|
*
|
*
|
8.9
|
61.9
|
58.1
|
53.5
|
All ISCED 2011 levels
|
17.7
|
65.9
|
79.7
|
77.4
|
71.7
|
61.3
|
44.7
|
6.6
|
66.0
|
59.9
|
55.1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All Persons
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Less than primary, primary and lower secondary education
|
10.1
|
36.8
|
60.5
|
61.0
|
62.7
|
54.5
|
43.4
|
10.0
|
40.7
|
35.1
|
29.9
|
Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education
|
50.3
|
63.2
|
81.2
|
83.3
|
77.6
|
71.8
|
59.7
|
13.7
|
73.6
|
69.1
|
66.5
|
Tertiary education
|
*
|
83.3
|
90.7
|
91.0
|
90.3
|
83.4
|
63.2
|
15.3
|
88.2
|
83.7
|
81.4
|
No response
|
*
|
[55.3]
|
82.9
|
81.4
|
67.9
|
[68.8]
|
[43.8]
|
9.8
|
72.3
|
67.7
|
63.8
|
All ISCED 2011 levels
|
20.8
|
67.0
|
84.7
|
84.7
|
79.7
|
69.9
|
54.3
|
11.9
|
72.1
|
66.0
|
61.5
|
Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS), Central Statistics Office, Ireland and Eurostat.
* Estimates for numbers of persons not published as estimates are too small to be considered reliable.
Parentheses [ ] indicate where estimates are considered to have a wider margin of error and should be treated with caution.
Data may be subject to future revision.
Data may be subject to sampling or other survey errors, which are greater in respect of smaller values or estimates of change.
Reference period: q1=Jan-Mar
Table 2 Labour Force participation rates of persons aged 15 years and over by sex, age group and highest level of education attained, Q1 2018 - EU 15 %
EU15
|
15-19
|
20-24
|
25-34
|
35-44
|
45-54
|
55-59
|
60-64
|
65+
|
15-64
|
15-74
|
15 years and over
|
Males
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Less than primary, primary and lower secondary education
|
19.6
|
68.3
|
83.9
|
86.1
|
84.4
|
73.8
|
43.5
|
6.0
|
64.6
|
55.7
|
48.6
|
Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education
|
41.2
|
63.1
|
89.7
|
94.2
|
92.3
|
84.7
|
54.7
|
10.2
|
81.9
|
74.5
|
70.2
|
Tertiary education
|
62.4
|
71.8
|
92.6
|
97.0
|
96.4
|
90.3
|
68.5
|
16.1
|
91.3
|
83.5
|
79.2
|
No response
|
*
|
60.8
|
80.1
|
82.8
|
85.2
|
80.5
|
*
|
*
|
31.4
|
14.1
|
7.4
|
All ISCED 2011 levels
|
23.8
|
65.6
|
89.6
|
93.3
|
91.4
|
82.9
|
54.5
|
8.7
|
79.2
|
70.4
|
64.1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Females
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Less than primary, primary and lower secondary education
|
16.3
|
57.5
|
57.9
|
62.0
|
62.1
|
53.9
|
30.7
|
2.5
|
46.7
|
37.2
|
29.1
|
Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education
|
37.8
|
56.2
|
77.6
|
82.2
|
82.7
|
75.1
|
47.2
|
5.9
|
72.0
|
64.9
|
60.5
|
Tertiary education
|
59.5
|
71.3
|
87.5
|
90.4
|
90.3
|
82.9
|
56.6
|
10.1
|
85.4
|
79.6
|
77.3
|
No response
|
*
|
53.5
|
68.8
|
68.4
|
69.5
|
62.9
|
*
|
*
|
24.1
|
9.5
|
4.5
|
All ISCED 2011 levels
|
21.2
|
59.7
|
79.0
|
81.8
|
79.6
|
70.3
|
42.9
|
4.0
|
69.0
|
60.0
|
52.6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All Persons
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Less than primary, primary and lower secondary education
|
18.1
|
63.9
|
72.5
|
75.1
|
73.3
|
63.4
|
36.3
|
3.8
|
55.9
|
46.4
|
38.2
|
Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education
|
39.4
|
59.7
|
84.0
|
88.4
|
87.5
|
79.9
|
51.0
|
8.0
|
77.0
|
69.8
|
65.4
|
Tertiary education
|
60.8
|
71.5
|
89.7
|
93.4
|
93.3
|
86.6
|
62.7
|
13.6
|
88.2
|
81.5
|
78.2
|
No response
|
2.2
|
57.3
|
74.8
|
76.3
|
78.1
|
71.6
|
50.3
|
*
|
27.8
|
11.7
|
5.8
|
All ISCED 2011 levels
|
22.5
|
62.7
|
84.3
|
87.5
|
85.4
|
76.5
|
48.5
|
6.1
|
74.1
|
65.2
|
58.2
|
Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS), Central Statistics Office, Ireland and Eurostat.
* Estimates for numbers of persons not published as estimates are too small to be considered reliable.
Data may be subject to future revision.
Data may be subject to sampling or other survey errors, which are greater in respect of smaller values or estimates of change.
Reference period: q1=Jan-Mar
Table 3 Labour Force participation rates of persons aged 15 years and over by sex, age group and highest level of education attained, Q1 2018 - EU 28 %
EU28
|
15-19
|
20-24
|
25-34
|
35-44
|
45-54
|
55-59
|
60-64
|
65+
|
15-64
|
15-74
|
15 years and over
|
Males
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Less than primary, primary and lower secondary education
|
16.4
|
67.3
|
82.6
|
85.0
|
83.3
|
72.7
|
42.4
|
5.9
|
61.6
|
53.3
|
46.5
|
Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education
|
40.7
|
62.8
|
90.6
|
94.3
|
91.3
|
82.4
|
52.4
|
9.6
|
81.8
|
74.1
|
70.1
|
Tertiary education
|
60.6
|
70.7
|
93.2
|
97.2
|
96.2
|
90.2
|
68.6
|
16.1
|
91.6
|
83.9
|
79.6
|
No response
|
*
|
60.8
|
80.1
|
82.8
|
85.2
|
80.6
|
*
|
*
|
31.5
|
14.1
|
7.3
|
All ISCED 2011 levels
|
21.0
|
64.8
|
90.1
|
93.4
|
90.7
|
81.7
|
53.3
|
8.6
|
78.7
|
70.2
|
64.2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Females
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Less than primary, primary and lower secondary education
|
13.3
|
53.4
|
55.7
|
60.9
|
61.5
|
52.5
|
28.7
|
2.6
|
43.9
|
35.0
|
27.1
|
Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education
|
36.6
|
53.8
|
75.6
|
81.8
|
82.4
|
72.2
|
39.6
|
5.4
|
70.2
|
62.5
|
58.4
|
Tertiary education
|
59.5
|
69.9
|
87.0
|
90.5
|
91.0
|
83.5
|
55.3
|
10.2
|
85.4
|
79.5
|
77.1
|
No response
|
*
|
53.6
|
68.8
|
68.4
|
69.7
|
63.4
|
*
|
*
|
24.2
|
9.6
|
4.3
|
All ISCED 2011 levels
|
18.4
|
57.0
|
77.8
|
81.8
|
80.0
|
69.2
|
39.1
|
4.0
|
67.9
|
58.9
|
51.8
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All Persons
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Less than primary, primary and lower secondary education
|
14.9
|
61.5
|
70.8
|
74.0
|
72.4
|
62.0
|
34.6
|
3.8
|
53.0
|
44.0
|
36.0
|
Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education
|
38.6
|
58.4
|
83.8
|
88.4
|
86.8
|
77.3
|
46.0
|
7.4
|
76.2
|
68.4
|
64.3
|
Tertiary education
|
60.0
|
70.3
|
89.7
|
93.6
|
93.5
|
86.8
|
62.0
|
13.6
|
88.2
|
81.6
|
78.3
|
No response
|
2.2
|
57.4
|
74.8
|
76.3
|
78.1
|
71.8
|
49.8
|
*
|
27.9
|
11.8
|
5.6
|
All ISCED 2011 levels
|
19.7
|
61.0
|
84.0
|
87.6
|
85.3
|
75.3
|
45.9
|
6.0
|
73.3
|
64.5
|
57.8
|
Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS), Central Statistics Office, Ireland and Eurostat.
* Estimates for numbers of persons not published as estimates are too small to be considered reliable.
Data may be subject to future revision.
Data may be subject to sampling or other survey errors, which are greater in respect of smaller values or estimates of change.
Reference period: q1=Jan-Mar