Report Finds Irish Youth Employment Fails Pre-Crash Levels

A report produced by TASC for the National Youth Council of Ireland finds that youth employment has failed to return to levels seen before the financial crash. While unemployment dropped from a peak of 32%, approximately 120,000 fewer people aged 15 to 24 are employed now than 20 years ago. Data indicates that youth employment stalled at around 320,000 in 2021, even as employment for older demographics continued to grow.

The research highlights a decline in job quality, noting that sub-minimum wage positions for workers under 20 have doubled to 30%. Additionally, unaffordable housing has increased the number of young adults living with their parents. Central Statistics Office data supports these concerns, showing youth unemployment rates remaining between 12.3% and 13.2%.

TASC chief economist Oisín Gilmore criticized the government's application of the European youth guarantee, stating that falling unemployment rates mask insecure work and barriers to independence. Kathryn Walsh of the National Youth Council of Ireland added that the current statistics do not reflect whether young people can build independent lives or find fairly paid work.