Unemployment was unchanged at 4.4% in January after the December rate was revised up from 4.3%.

The latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures show there were 118,300 people in unemployment last month, down from 119,100 in December, and 128,600 (4.9%) in January 2022

Unemployment among males was down to 4.1% from the revised rate of 4.2% in December and 4.8% last January, while unemployment among females was unchanged at 4.7% and down from 5% a year ago.

"The seasonally adjusted number of males unemployed fell to 58,700 in January 2023, compared with 60,000 in December 2022," said John Mullane, statistician in the labour market analysis at the CSO.

"In January 2023 the seasonally adjusted number of females unemployed increased to 59,600, compared with 59,200 in December 2022.”

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The youth unemployment rate for people aged 15-24 rose from 10.2% to 10.4% month-on-month while unemployment among people aged 25-74 declined from 3.6% to 3.5%.

Jack Kennedy, economist at Indeed, said the Irish labour market had "started the year on broadly the same note as it ended last year amid an unstable macro-economic outlook.

"With January traditionally being a popular month to start job searching, the labour market remains tight and recruitment conditions continue to be challenging for many employers," Kennedy continued.

"Staff shortages remain one of the most pressing issues for many employers. Targeting unemployed young people and long-term unemployed could be part of the solution to a tight labour market. Youth unemployment has struggled in recent years to drop to and stay in single figure digits."

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