Ireland’s workforce is ageing, with new figures highlighting the growing importance of older workers to the labour market. According to key findings from the Winter Skills Bulletin 2025, published by SOLAS, almost 839,000 people aged 50 to 74 were in employment in the first quarter of 2025, underlining the significant contribution this age group continues to make across the economy.
Employment among older workers has grown sharply in recent years, rising by 32% since Q1 2019, compared with a 21% increase across the overall working population aged 15 to 74. In real terms, this represents an additional 201,500 older people in work, reflecting longer working lives and changing retirement patterns.
The data also points to differences in education levels. Around 15% of older workers, predominantly men, have lower secondary education or below, almost double the rate seen among the wider employed population. This has implications for upskilling and reskilling as labour market demands evolve.
Older workers are heavily concentrated in a small number of sectors. Health, industry, wholesale and retail, education, and agriculture together employ more than half of all workers aged 50 to 74. Agriculture stands out in particular, with over half of its workforce aged 50 and above, and a significant proportion aged between 60 and 74.
Women make up a substantial share of this cohort, accounting for 45% of older workers, highlighting the increasingly diverse profile of later-life employment in Ireland.
Despite their strong labour market presence, participation in lifelong learning remains lower among older workers. In early 2025, 12% of workers aged 50 to 74 were engaged in lifelong learning, compared with 15% of all employed adults aged 25 to 74, suggesting scope for further investment in training and accessible learning opportunities for this age group.
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