Laois has the lowest number of IDA supported jobs in the entire country

Laois has the lowest number of IDA supported jobs in the entire country in 2025. 

The IDA is Ireland’s foreign direct investment agency which promotes locations in the country to foreign companies. 

In Laois it supports 156 jobs which is more than eight times less than the 1,299 jobs in neighbouring Offaly, more than nine times fewer than the 1,428 jobs in Carlow and whopping 65 times fewer than the 10,258 jobs it supports in Co Kildare.  Nationally, the IDA supported companies employed 312, 468 last year. 

The latest figures were revealed following a Parliamentary Question by Clare Fianna Fail TD Cathal Crowe. He asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the number of IDA-supported jobs in each county at the end of 2025, on a county-by-county basis.  

Minister Peter Burke stated that “Foreign Direct Investment is a key element of our economic strategy, with investments by IDA Ireland client companies consistently generating highly skilled jobs nationwide.” 

He said “supporting job creation in all regions is central to the work of my Department and our enterprise development agencies. In this regard, IDA client-company employment increased to 312,468 in 2025 and there are currently 169,967 people employed in IDA client companies outside Dublin, with FDI employment in every region and every county of Ireland. This represents 54% of all IDA client-company employment nationally.”

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“Under its current strategy, IDA is targeting 550 of a total 1,000 investments to regional locations. The first year of this strategy, 2025, saw IDA Ireland achieving the highest ever number of investments, 323, a 38% increase on 2024, which are expected to create over 15,300 additional jobs in the coming years. 183 investments, 57% of all investments in 2025, were in regional locations.” 

According to the figures supplied by Minister Burke, Laois has one additional IDA supported job in 2025 compared to figures from 2023, when it was again at the bottom of the table and had 155 IDA supported jobs. 

“The number of jobs at companies supported by Enterprise Ireland also showed a net increase of 2,938 last year, rising to 232,425. 12,608 jobs were created by EI supported companies last year, 69% of these jobs were located outside the Dublin region - with all nine regions recording jobs growth,” said Minister Burke. 

READ ALSO: Lack of IDA visits to Laois highlighted in new figures

“In addition, the 31 Local Enterprise Offices supported 40,285 jobs in 2025, the highest level since their establishment. LEO client companies created 7,261 new jobs last year- a 7% increase on 2024. 82% of these new jobs were created outside Dublin, highlighting the impact of targeted local supports,” Minister Burke concluded.