This NERI Report Series no. 28 was written by NERI economist, Chris Smart. This report attempts to estimate the number of non-Irish nationals in employment in Ireland, using a variety of the most up-to-date data sources available. These include surveys conducted by the Central Statistics Office, as well as various statistical releases issued by various government departments that track their interactions with non-nationals.
Using the most up-to-date release from the Labour Force Survey, we can estimate that there are just over 500,000 non-nationals in employment in Ireland (more specifically, 531,800 as of Q3 2023). While this is a snapshot based off a representative sample, the findings are corroborated by other data sources on work permit issuances, the population of those under the various permit types, as well as other CSO population estimates. As an example, the most recent estimates of the total population from April 2023 show the population of non-nationals has increased to just over 700,000, with recent growth mirroring the growth in those estimated to be in employment.