New data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows a marked increase in women’s participation in the workforce over the past two decades, with employment numbers more than doubling since 2000. In the fourth quarter of 2025, an estimated 1,328,900 women were employed, up 82.1% from 729,900 in the same quarter of 2000.
The Human Health & Social Work sector employed the largest share of women, followed closely by the Education sector, where women accounted for roughly three-quarters of all staff in both areas. These figures highlight the continued concentration of women in caregiving and educational roles, sectors traditionally dominated by female employees.
The CSO report also noted a significant decline in the number of women identifying as “engaged in home duties.” This group fell by 61.8%, from 520,500 in 2010 to 198,800 in 2025, reflecting broader social and economic shifts that have encouraged more women to enter the labour market.
Women represented 41.7% of those in full-time employment and 67.1% of part-time workers in the final quarter of 2025. Educational attainment among employed women was higher than for men, with 63.6% holding a third-level degree compared to 52.8% of men.
Earnings growth for women has also improved. Median weekly earnings for women rose by 39.2% from €469.85 in 2014 to €654.07 in 2024. Men saw a slightly lower increase of 36.5%, from €587.52 to €802.14 over the same period. The CSO noted that women’s representation among top earners is also increasing. Women made up 27.6% of the top 1% of earners in 2024, up from 22.6% in 2019, while their share of the top 10% of earners rose from 27.9% to 30.6%.
Earnings comparisons by nationality showed that Indian women had the highest median weekly earnings in 2024 at €919.27, followed by Irish women at €677.02 and UK nationals at €646.01. Indian women were the only nationality group whose median weekly earnings exceeded those of their male counterparts (€821.96), a trend observed since 2020.
The CSO’s figures underline the ongoing transformation of women’s roles in the workforce, reflecting greater educational attainment, increased participation in paid employment, and rising earnings. These trends point to a narrowing of gender gaps in both labour force engagement and income, although disparities remain in sector representation and full-time employment.
The report provides policymakers and employers with a detailed view of women’s progress in the labour market, offering insights that could guide future initiatives to support gender equality in employment and remuneration.
