Unemployment rate in Ireland by area — what Census 2022 shows

Some electoral divisions in Ireland record unemployment rates above 15% — more than three times the national Census 2022 average of ~5%. Adjacent EDs in the same postcode can differ by 8 to 10 percentage points. The county-level figure hides all of it. The data is below.

Ireland unemployment — Census 2022 overview

The national rate conceals deep local variation

A 5% national figure is a mean, not a reality. Within cities, individual electoral divisions record unemployment rates well above 15%. Adjacent EDs in the same postcode can diverge by 8 to 10 percentage points. County averages suppress this variation entirely.

Areas with the highest unemployment rates

These electoral divisions recorded the highest unemployment rates in Census 2022. High unemployment EDs are concentrated in specific urban areas — not distributed evenly across cities or counties.

Areas with the lowest unemployment rates

Electoral divisions with the lowest recorded unemployment in Census 2022. Low unemployment concentrates in commuter belt towns, affluent suburbs, and areas with strong local employment bases.

Urban concentration is the dominant pattern

High unemployment concentrates in specific urban EDs — particular parts of Dublin, Limerick, and Cork city. Rural unemployment presents a different profile: lower headline rates but higher economic inactivity, particularly among working-age adults not counted in standard unemployment figures.

Unemployment and education track each other

Across Ireland's 3,420 electoral divisions, low third-level attainment and high unemployment co-occur with regularity. Only 40.9% of Irish adults hold a third-level qualification nationally. The EDs furthest below that figure tend to show the highest unemployment rates.

• Urban periphery: Outer city estates in Dublin, Limerick, and Cork consistently record the highest unemployment rates — often three to four times the national average.
• Rural inactivity: Low unemployment figures in many rural EDs can mask high economic inactivity. Working-age adults not in employment and not seeking work are not counted as unemployed.
• Commuter belt: EDs in Wicklow, Kildare, Meath, and Louth record some of the lowest unemployment in Ireland — reflecting Dublin employment access combined with lower land prices.

The gap between Dublin's highest and lowest unemployment EDs — sometimes 12 percentage points within a single county — tells a different story from the national headline. The map makes that contrast visible at neighbourhood level.

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