Ireland · Employment permits by industry

Which industries receive employment permits in Ireland?

Between 2021 and 2025, 157,645 employment permits were issued in Ireland. Healthcare & social care was the biggest single group, at 29% of the total. The charts below group the government’s sector statistics into 13 plain-language industries so you can see how each field has moved.

Cards are listed alphabetically, not ranked. Each chart has its own scale, so bar heights compare years within one industry, not one industry with another. *2026 is year-to-date through August.

Agriculture & food production

Farming, forestry and fishing, plus food, drink and tobacco manufacturing such as meat and food processing.

999214,668221,653233,978242,411252,56126*
2021–2025
8.7%
of all permits
2026 YTD
+54%
vs Jan–Aug 2025

Construction

Building, civil engineering and specialist construction trades.

607211,474221,349231,523242,031251,77026*
2021–2025
4.4%
of all permits
2026 YTD
+42%
vs Jan–Aug 2025

Consulting & professional services

Legal, accounting, architecture, engineering and scientific services, plus head offices and management consultancy.

236211,460221,293231,092241,455251,37426*
2021–2025
3.5%
of all permits
2026 YTD
+50%
vs Jan–Aug 2025

Education

Schools, colleges, universities and other education providers.

91212072224623357244642533926*
2021–2025
0.9%
of all permits
2026 YTD
+26%
vs Jan–Aug 2025

Finance & insurance

Banking, insurance, funds, payments and related financial services.

1,094213,351222,373232,318241,424251,04326*
2021–2025
6.7%
of all permits
2026 YTD
+29%
vs Jan–Aug 2025

Healthcare & social care

Hospitals, medical practices, nursing homes, residential and social care.

5,793219,7912210,0372312,501247,948257,22526*
2021–2025
29.2%
of all permits
2026 YTD
+35%
vs Jan–Aug 2025

Hospitality & food service

Hotels, restaurants, cafés, bars and catering.

786212,720222,606233,358243,499252,77426*
2021–2025
8.2%
of all permits
2026 YTD
+18%
vs Jan–Aug 2025

Manufacturing, energy & utilities

Other manufacturing, mining, electricity and gas supply, water, waste and remediation.

34821950221,254231,567241,818251,64426*
2021–2025
3.8%
of all permits
2026 YTD
+46%
vs Jan–Aug 2025

Pharma & medical devices

Manufacture of chemicals and pharmaceuticals, and of medical devices.

36721994221,158231,118248862552326*
2021–2025
2.9%
of all permits
2026 YTD
+1%
vs Jan–Aug 2025

Retail & wholesale

Wholesale and retail trade.

120213242229423441246222555726*
2021–2025
1.1%
of all permits
2026 YTD
+55%
vs Jan–Aug 2025

Tech & telecoms

Software, IT services, telecoms, publishing and media, plus manufacture of computers, electronics and optical equipment.

4,6872111,442225,854237,358244,061252,99826*
2021–2025
21.2%
of all permits
2026 YTD
+14%
vs Jan–Aug 2025

Transport & logistics

Road, rail, air and sea transport, warehousing, postal and courier services.

2652151222907231,282241,363251,32326*
2021–2025
2.7%
of all permits
2026 YTD
+45%
vs Jan–Aug 2025

Other services

Personal and community services, arts and recreation, administrative support, real estate, public administration, and permits with no sector recorded.

882212,062221,957232,497243,062252,53226*
2021–2025
6.6%
of all permits
2026 YTD
+36%
vs Jan–Aug 2025

How to read this

Each employment permit is recorded against an economic sector. WhoPermit adds those sector counts into the industries above, for example combining food manufacturing with agriculture, and computer and electronics manufacturing with tech. A permit is a historical record. It does not mean the industry is hiring now, and a smaller number of permits does not mean fewer opportunities. Use it as background, then check live vacancies and the official eligibility rules for your occupation.

Industry counts come from the public sector statistics of the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. The department revises its figures from time to time, so the latest numbers may differ slightly.

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