One in 19 working-age people signing on in Offaly – among the higher rates nationally

New analysis of CSO data shows Offaly has one of the higher jobseeker rates in Ireland.

Offaly recorded 53 people signing on per 1,000 working-age residents (aged 15-64) in January, placing it in the upper tier nationally, according to the National Pension Helpline study.

This means that around one in 19 working-age residents in the county were on the Live Register in January, compared to one in 42 in Meath, which had the lowest rate.

The highest rate was recorded in Louth (71), followed by Longford (66) and Donegal (66), while Leitrim (65) and Wexford (62) also had elevated per-capita figures.

At the other end of the spectrum, Meath had the lowest rate, with just 24 jobseekers per 1,000 residents, followed by Kilkenny (32) and Cork (34).

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“These figures highlight the continued regional variation in jobseekers across Ireland,” said James Dorrian of the National Pension Helpline.

“For Offaly, roughly one in 19 working-age residents is on the Live Register. In Meath, the figure is just one in 42.

“This contrast shows why it’s important to consider both per-capita rates and total numbers when assessing labour market pressures across the country.”

Mr Dorrian added that local economic conditions, employment opportunities, and recent changes to national schemes such as the Jobseeker’s Pay Related Benefit can all influence monthly trends.

“Monitoring these figures helps policymakers and local authorities target interventions, skills development programmes, and investment where job creation is most urgently needed,” he said.

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