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Future Jobs Ireland – Preparing Now for Tomorrow’s Economy

To ensure Ireland's economy is well positioned to adapt and prosper in the future, the Government launched a new economic pathway for Ireland based on embracing innovation and technological change, improving productivity, increasing labour force participation, enhancing skills and developing talent and transitioning to a low carbon economy. Future Jobs Ireland will drive our development as a resilient, innovative, and globally connected economy, capable of coping with technological and other transformational changes ahead.

Ireland’s economy is performing strongly. Living standards are rising and employment has reached the highest levels in years. Ireland can be proud of the progress made. This has been achieved this through the hard work of the Irish people and the resilience demonstrated through some very tough times.

However, there is no room for complacency. Significant vulnerabilities are evident in the domestic economy such as declining productivity levels in SMEs, infrastructural constraints, skills deficits and labour availability, as well as concentrations in some sectors. Internationally, Brexit, growing trade protectionism and other geopolitical risks provide further complexities. Technological advances and the transition to the low carbon economy present challenges but also numerous opportunities as our businesses and workers adapt in a changed economy.

Against this backdrop, the Government has developed Future Jobs Ireland, a framework of focused ambitions which will form a key part of Ireland’s future economic agenda over the medium term.

Future Jobs Ireland, along with Project Ireland 2040, Global Ireland 2025 and the forthcoming All of Government Climate Plan represents an integrated approach to prepare for the opportunities and challenges of the future economy.

Future Jobs Ireland focuses on five pillars namely:

  1. Embracing Innovation and Technological Change
  2. Improving SME Productivity
  3. Enhancing Skills and Developing and Attracting Talent
  4. Increasing Participation in the Labour Force
  5. Transitioning to a Low Carbon Economy

Future Jobs Ireland 2019, the first in a series of annual reports, establishes 26 ambitions under these pillars that will enhance the resilience of our economy and ensure we are well placed to exploit future economic opportunities.

For more information, see www.gov.ie/futurejobs