Ireland ranks fourth worldwide for AI engineering talent, report shows

Ireland has been placed fourth globally for AI engineering talent concentration, according to the 12th edition of the Labour Market Pulse report released on 14 October.

The report, produced by IDA Ireland in partnership with Microsoft and LinkedIn, also found the country ranks fourth for net AI talent migration and tops the IMF Skills Readiness Index.

Michael Lohan, CEO of IDA Ireland, said the findings demonstrate Ireland’s strength as it enters the AI era, noting that digital and AI projects accounted for 40 % of global greenfield investment last year and that two‑thirds of the RD&I projects supported involved AI.

Employment in the Irish labour market reached 2.84 million in Q2 2026, with unemployment holding at or below 5.1 % for 54 consecutive months, indicating resilience compared with the UK and Germany, where LinkedIn hiring rates fell more sharply.

While entry‑level recruitment for AI‑augmented roles fell by more than 16 % year‑on‑year in Q2 2026, demand for AI skills is rising, with LinkedIn job postings for AI engineering up 29 % between 2019 and 2025. The fastest‑growing AI occupations for 2026 include AI engineer, machine learning engineer, data annotator, analytics specialist and data analyst.

Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke, TD, welcomed the report, highlighting Ireland’s rapid AI adoption and the need to maintain momentum as part of the International AI Summit during the EU Presidency.

Source: Silicon Republic. Photo: Erik Glauber / Pexels.