A year ago we began publishing a series of ‘Regional Sectoral Profiles’ of economic sectors in the Western Region. Now, 12 months and 12 reports later, the series is complete! As publication has been spread over a year, I thought it would be useful to provide a synopsis and links to the full series.
So it all began in October 2018 with …
Wholesale & Retail (Oct 2018)
42,510 people were employed in the Wholesale & Retail sector in the Western Region in 2016 making it the region’s second largest employer. The Western Region is characterised by greater self-employment in Wholesale & Retail than the national average (15.5% of total employment in the sector is self-employment compared with 12.7% in the state) meaning it is characterised by more, but smaller, businesses. Download WDC Insights-Wholesale & Retail in Western Region-Oct 2018 and Wholesale & Retail in the Western Region-Regional Sectoral Analysis-Oct 2018
Health & Care (Nov 2018)
42,027 people were employed in the Health & Care sector in the Western Region in 2016. At 15.5% of all employment, Sligo has the highest share working in this sector in the country, while Leitrim (13.5%) has the 2nd highest share nationally with Galway City and Galway County (both 13%) jointly 4th. This sector is a hugely important and growing employer in the region. Download WDC Insights-The Health & Care Sector in the Western Region-Nov 2018 and Health & Care Sector in the Western Region-Regional Sectoral Analysis-Nov 2018
Education (Jan 2019)
32,349 people were employed in the Education sector in the Western Region in 2016. Education is most important in Donegal (10.8% of all employment), followed by Galway County (10.2%). These are the highest shares working in Education in the country. Moycullen (Co Galway) has the highest share of residents working in Education across Ireland’s 200 towns and cities. Within the sector, Pre-Primary education had the strongest recent jobs growth. Download WDC Insights-Education Sector in the Western Region-Jan 2019 and Education Sector in the Western Region-Regional Sectoral Profile-Jan 2019-rev 12.03.19
Industry (Feb 2019)
With 45,754 working in Industry in 2016, it is the region’s largest employment sector. It is considerably more important as an employer in the region than nationally (13.7% v 11.4%). Among western counties, Industry is most important in Galway County, Clare and Galway City, while Ballyhaunis (Co Mayo) has the highest share of jobs in Industry among Ireland’s 200 towns and cities, where it accounts for 41.9% of total jobs.
Medical Devices is the largest activity accounting for 28% of all Industry employment in the region. The region’s industrial sector relies more on foreign owned companies than nationally (55.1% of assisted Industry jobs are in foreign owned companies v 45.3%). Download WDC Insights-Industry Employment in Western Region-Feb 2019; WDC Insights-Industry Employment in Western Counties-Feb 2019 and Industry in the Western Region-Regional Sectoral Profile-Feb 2019-11.04.19
Accommodation & Food Service (Mar 2019)
23,038 people worked in Accommodation & Food Service in the Western Region in 2016. Among western counties, it is most important in Galway City, Donegal and Mayo which are among the top 5 in Ireland in terms of the share of their workforce engaged in hospitality. At 27.6% of total employment, Clifden has the highest share working in the sector in Ireland with Bundoran, Westport, Donegal town and Carrick-on-Shannon also among the top 10 towns. The region is home to 23.7% of all Accommodation & Food Service enterprises in the state and it’s the sector where the region accounts for its highest share of national enterprises. Download WDC Insights-Accommodation & Food Service Sector in the Western Region-Mar 2019 and Accommodation & Food Service Sector in the Western Region-Regional Sectoral Profile-Mar 2019
Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing (Apr 2019)
22,733 people were employed in Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing in the Western Region in 2016. This only includes people whose main economic activity is working in the sector and does not include part-time farmers. Of everyone working in the sector in Ireland, 1 in 4 of them live in the Western Region making Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing the sector where the Western Region accounts for its highest share of total national employment. Download WDC Insights-Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing Employment in the Western Region-April 2019 and Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing in the Western Region-Regional Sectoral Profile-Apr 2019
Administrative, Entertainment & Other Services (May 2019)
21,789 people worked in Administrative, Entertainment & Other Services in the Western Region in 2016. This sector provides ‘outsourced’ services to businesses, as well as personal and recreation services to individuals. Bundoran has the highest share working in the sector of all Irish towns. This sector is characterised by high self-employment, both compared with elsewhere (27.6% in region v 21.5% in state) and with other sectors. The number of self-employed grew by 19.4% (2011-2016) in the region, the highest growth of all sectors. Download WDC Insights: Administrative, Entertainment & Other Services in the Western Region and Administrative, Entertainment & Other Services in the Western Region: Regional Sectoral Profile
Financial & ICT Services (Jun 2019)
17,884 people worked in Financial & ICT Services in the Western Region in 2016. Financial & ICT Services plays a significantly smaller role in the region’s labour market than nationally (5.4% v 9%). In the region the sector is most important in Galway City, Donegal and Clare. At 14.3% of total jobs Letterkenny has by far the highest share of residents working in the sector in the region and is 11th highest in Ireland. Download WDC Insights-Financial & ICT Services in Western Region-June 2019 and Financial & ICT Services in the Western Region-Regional Sectoral Profile-June 2019
Public Administration & Defence (Jul 2019)
18,858 people worked in Public Administration & Defence in the Western Region in 2016. At 8.4% of total employment, Roscommon has the highest share working in the sector in Ireland with Leitrim and Sligo 2nd and 4th highest respectively. North Connacht and the North West have high reliance on the public sector to sustain employment. Lifford (Co Donegal), Strandhill (Co Sligo) and Roscommon town have the 2nd, 3rd and 4th highest shares working in the sector of Irish towns. Download WDC Insights-Public Administration & Defence in Western Region-July 2019 and Public Admin & Defence Sector in the Western Region-Regional Sectoral Profile-July 2019
Professional Services (Jul 2019)
14,499 people worked in Professional Services in the Western Region in 2016. It accounted for 4.3% of total employment in the region, far lower that its 6.1% share nationally. Galway City is where it is most important in the region but it is still well below the state average. This sector has among the highest rates of self-employment across all economic sectors and is considerably higher in the region than nationally (30.3% v 25.7%). Download WDC Insights-Professional Services in Western Region-July 2019 and Professional Services in the Western Region-Regional Sectoral Profile-July 2019
Construction (Aug 2019)
18,166 people worked in Construction in the Western Region in 2016. In 2006 Construction accounted for 12.6% of all jobs in the region, by 2016 it was down to 5.4%. Ballaghaderreen (Co Roscommon) has the highest share of residents working in Construction in the region and 2nd highest nationally. Despite significant decline during the recession and slower recovery than elsewhere, Construction continues to employ a greater share of the workforce in the Western Region and particularly in more rural counties and towns. Download WDC Insights-The Construction Sector in the Western Region-Aug 2019 and Construction in the Western Region-Regional Sectoral Profile-Aug 2019
And finally …
Transportation & Storage (Sep 2019)
10,758 people worked in Transport & Storage in the Western Region in 2016. Clare has by far the highest share working in the sector in the region at 5.2% of employment and is 4th highest nationally due to aviation activity around Shannon. Shannon town (10.8%) has the 4th highest share working in the sector in Ireland with Newmarket-on-Fergus also in the top 10 towns. There was a 6.3% fall in the number of Transport & Storage enterprises in the region between 2012 and 2017 mainly due to a sharp decline in taxi numbers. Download WDC Insights-Transportation & Storage Sector in the Western Region-Sept 2019 and Transportation & Storage Sector in the Western Region-Regional Sectoral Profile-Sept 2019
So that’s the complete series of Regional Sectoral Profiles. In some ways it’s fitting that the series is now complete as this will be my final WDC Insights Policy Blog post.
After 16 great years with the WDC I am moving on to take up a new challenge. I want to thank all my colleagues, past and present, and particularly my Policy Analysis team mates Deirdre Frost and Helen McHenry for all their help, support, encouragement and heated debated! over the years.
Wishing you all the best
Pauline White
