Sligo’s workforce is the 2nd largest in the western region.
A new report carried out by the Western Development Commission has been examining where people living in Sligo are working.
A new report carried out by the Western Development Commission shows that while Sligo town is the fourth largest urban centre in the Western Region, it has the second largest labour catchment after the Galway city labour catchment.
Sligo town labour catchment has over 24,000 workers living there, which accounts for 8.3% of all workers living in the Western Region.
This is 2.9 times the numbers of workers living within Sligo town which highlights the significant labour supply available.
Of those living in the Sligo town labour catchment, 45.9% are employed within Sligo town and 54.1% are employed outside the town, ranging from locations near to Sligo such as Collooney; 2.5% to Dublin city; 1.7%.
The age profile of those living in the Sligo town labour catchment is the third youngest of the catchments of the seven county towns in the Western Region, though older than the State average.
Those workers living in the Sligo labour catchment have a higher rate of third level education – 63.2%, compared to the State figure of 63.1%.
The single largest employer is the ‘Education, Human Health and Social Work’ sector and accounts for 29.6% which is higher than the State average 23.8%.
Places closer to Sligo town and rural areas have also seen significant increase in employment since 2016. For example, Bundoran and Collooney as well as rural parts of Sligo and Leitrim have all recorded greater numbers employed in 2022.
Examining departure times for work, of the seven labour catchments, Sligo has the second lowest rate of workers departing for work before 7.00 am (21%), with just Letterkenny having a lower rate of 19.6%.
