Ireland Report Links AI to 2-Year Youth Hiring Stall as Economy Adds 2.2%

1 articles · Updated · TheJournal.ie · Aug 24

Irish employment among 15- to 24-year-olds has been flat for two years and fell over the past year, a new EGFSN report said, pointing to AI as a likely factor in the slowdown.
The report stops short of blaming AI alone, saying post-pandemic sector cooling and broader economic shifts also shaped hiring, and that AI is currently reorganizing tasks more than causing widespread job losses.
Early-career workers are seen as more exposed because AI can perform a larger share of their tasks, raising concerns that traditional graduate and entry-level routes into careers could be reshaped.
7% of existing Irish jobs could be displaced by AI in the short to medium term, separate ESRI research estimated four months ago, with clerical, technology and professional roles among the most exposed.
Ireland is still described as a global front-runner for AI jobs, with AI-skilled hiring growing 2 to 3 times faster than in neighboring countries, though adoption ranges from 57.3% at large firms to 16.8% at small ones.