Employment in the repair of motor vehicles down 8,200

The number of people employed in the are of the repair of motor vehicles & motorcycles; wholesale & retail trade is down 8,200 (2.5 per cent), according to the latest Labour Force Survey from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The CSO estimates that the number of people in employment in the first quarter of 2025 stood at just under 2.8 million, up 3.3 per cent compared with a year ago.

It also said that there was an increase in the unemployment rate in the first three months of the year, rising to 4.3 per cent from 4.1 per cent compared to the previous year.

Today’s Labour Force Survey also reveals that the estimated total labour force to stand at 2,918,300, up 3.5 per cent from the previous year.

The youth unemployment rate, for those aged 15-24 years, stood at 9.5 per cent in the first quarter of the year, up from 8.8 per cent a year ago.