Ireland’s labor market over the past 100 years is genuinely striking. In a relatively short span of time, the country has moved from a predominantly rural, agriculture-based economy to a modern, globally connected services hub. The release of the 1926 Irish census shows us this and paints a picture of a workforce that feels almost unrecognizable today.
For anyone working in global hiring or exploring the best Employer of Record (EOR) solutions, Ireland is a great example of how workforce structures can evolve, and why the country has become such an important location for global EOR operations and international hiring strategies today.
Ireland in 1926: A Very Different World of Work
The statistics reveal that at the time:
- Just over half of all employment (51%) was in agriculture
- Manufacturing accounted for 14%
- And only 6.5% worked in commercial, finance, or insurance roles
Most people worked close to where they lived. Employment was tied to land, seasons, and local communities. Importantly, Ireland was still very much a rural economy.
The census also captures occupations that have since disappeared, such as lamplighters, hosiery makers, and umbrella repairers - jobs that feel like they belong to another era entirely. It also hints at early internal migration patterns, with boarding houses appearing as people moved from rural areas into towns and cities for work.
A Services-Led, Globally Connected Workforce
Fast forward to the end of last year, and the structure of Ireland’s workforce looked completely different.
Out of roughly 2.9 million people in employment:
- Services now accounted for 80.1% of jobs
- Industry made up 16.2%
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing have fallen to just 3.8%
So, while the way data has changed over time, the shift is unmistakable. Ireland has moved from a farming-led economy to one dominated by services, multinational companies, and digitally enabled roles.
This kind of transformation is exactly why Ireland is often discussed in the context of EOR Ireland solutions and international workforce expansion. Work is no longer defined by geography in the way it once was.
Work Without Borders
One of the most interesting changes in recent years is how disconnected work has become from physical location.
We now see:
- Large-scale growth in remote and hybrid roles
- Over 560,000 people are working from home at least part of the time
- Around one in five workers does so regularly
Ireland’s employment rate also stands strong at around 73% for those aged 15–64, with more than 2.5 million people in work, according to the 2022 Census.
In other words, Ireland isn’t just growing, it’s becoming more flexible in how and where people work.
Ireland in the Global Remote Work Landscape
Ireland is also showing up strongly in global remote workforce trends. According to our Work Life Survey of over 78,000 remote overseas workers, Ireland accounted for 14.8% of respondents, placing it just behind Germany and ahead of several major Western economies.
For companies evaluating the best EOR providers, this kind of data matters. It shows where talent is engaging with global employment models and where distributed work is already well established.
Why This Matters for Global Employers
Ireland’s evolution isn’t just an interesting historical shift; it has real implications for modern hiring and for global companies, as Ireland now represents:
- A stable, highly skilled workforce
- A strong base for remote and hybrid work
- A key EU location for international hiring
- A strong fit for global EOR strategies
That’s why Ireland continues to feature prominently in discussions around the best EOR solutions for companies scaling across borders.
Final Thoughts
From rural farms to multinational finance and tech hubs, Ireland’s workforce transformation tells a bigger story about how work itself is changing.
It’s no longer just about where people live and work; it’s about how seamlessly they can connect to global opportunities. And Ireland is very much at the center of that shift.
For more information about expanding your business into Ireland, download our handy Ireland guide.
