Page 13 - Kilkenny County Council Corporate Plan 2019 - 2024

Profile of County Kilkenny

Employment and Economic Activity

• Following the economic downturn, the county’s level of unemployment increased
from 8.1% (3,233) in 2006 to 19.4% (8,992) in 2011, thereafter decreasing to 12.7%
(6,044) in 2016; levels similar to the State (12.9% in 2016).

• Of the 6,044 unemployed persons in 2016, 59.7% (3,600) were male and 40.3%
(2,444) female, registering unemployment rates of 13.9% and 11.4% respectively.

• Professional Services and Commerce and Trade sectors employed almost half
(47.9%) of the 41,363 employees in the county in 2016.

• The Council, with over 550 employees, ranks amongst the largest employers in the
County.

Educational Attainment

• The percentage of County Kilkenny’s adult population with primary education only, or no
formal education, decreased by 2.1% from 15.1% (9,196) in 2011 to 13.0% (8,125) in 2016;
a figure similar to the State (13.3% in 2016).

• The percentage of County Kilkenny’s population with third-level education increased by
4.9% from 26.8% (16,354) in 2011 to 31.7% (19,885) in 2016. This is 4.0 percentage points

lower than the State figure (35.7% in 2016).

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