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Limerick Chamber Mid-West Economic Insights Report
Michelle Gallagher, Limerick Chamber CEO, Mairead Connolly, Limerick Chamber President, Seán Golden- Director of Policy pictured today at the launch of the 2025 Mid-West Economic Insights (MWEI) report on April 28th. The latest edition of the MWEI, compiled by Limerick Chamber’s in-house policy unit, offers a robust, data-driven snapshot of the region’s performance across housing, employment, education, transport, and logistics.
Pic. Brian Arthur
Limerick Chamber today launched its 2025 Mid-West Economic Insights (MWEI) report, Ireland’s only regional economic publication of its kind. The report delivers a comprehensive overview of performance across Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary.
The latest edition of the MWEI, compiled by Limerick Chamber’s in-house policy unit, offers a robust, data-driven snapshot of the region’s performance across housing, employment, education, transport, and logistics; and is seen as increasingly vital for strategic planning, investment decisions, policy formulation, and economic benchmarking, not just in the Mid-West, but on a national scale.
Key findings from the MWEI 2025 report:
Housing market reaches crisis point
The report reveals soaring housing prices, with the Mid-West experiencing a 44% increase in home prices over the past five years. Co. Limerick alone saw a rise of nearly €70,000 (22%). While housing completions are up, particularly in Limerick (+29%) and Clare (+34%) compared to Tipperary, where completions decreased by almost 5%, supply remains far below demand. While Limerick completed over 1,000 homes in 2024, analysis by the Housing Commission suggests Limerick could need as many as between 2,000 and 4,300 homes to meet demand.
Alarmingly, just 5.4% of “affordable” homes were delivered in Limerick, compared to 61% in Dublin, highlighting a glaring regional disparity. In 2023, non-household entities were responsible for almost 60% of housing purchases across Limerick, while the national figure was almost 42%.
Price increases are not solely levied on the purchasing sector, with rents in Limerick city soaring by almost 77% over the past five years. Increases of over 60% in rental costs are also observed in Clare.
The housing crisis is undermining competitiveness, hampering talent retention, increasing wage pressures, and forcing workers into long commutes due to limited urban availability.
Employment at all time high, but challenges loom
Employment in the Mid-West has reached an all-time high of 274,000 at the time of writing the report, it now sits at 279,000, with unemployment now sitting at 3.4%. The region continues to attract international talent, accounting for 8.3% (1,905) of all national work permits issued. However, the report warns that talent shortages and inadequate infrastructure could stall growth if not urgently addressed.
Commenting on the positive figures relating to employment, Chief Economist, and Director of Policy at Limerick Chamber, Seán Golden said “The report also welcomes the continued trend of decreasing live register figures, including youth unemployment. The report highlights, despite a slow down of IDA supported employment at the national level, IDA supported employment in the Mid-West continues to grow – growing by 2.6% in the previous year to over 27,000 employees.”
Education strengths threatened by talent pipeline issues
While the region’s educational institutions remain a major draw for investment, third-level enrolments among Irish students are declining. This has however been somewhat mitigated by an increase in international students. The report welcomes a surge in apprenticeships, now at over 2,500 for the first time, but flags the urgent need to maintain a strong talent pipeline to support business growth.
Transport and logistics infrastructure lagging
The continued dominance of Dublin Airport is highlighted in the report, accounting for almost 85% of all national passengers. However, it welcomes Shannon and Cork Airports increasing their pre-pandemic numbers.
Though Limerick recorded 3.6 million public transport journeys in 2023, and bicycle usage has increased, a drop in licensed bus operators and a lack of metropolitan rail options are raising red flags. Meanwhile, road freight activity and haulier numbers in the Mid-West continue to decline, shrinking the region’s national logistics share from 14% in 2010 to just 9% in 2022.
Almost 31,000 new goods vehicles were licensed nationally in 2024, 41.9% of these were in Dublin. Limerick captured 3.1% of the national share. Concerningly, the report also highlights the downward trend in the number of licensed road hauliers, highlighting the Mid-West peaked in 2008.
Port potential a key national asset
Shannon Foynes Port remains a vital asset, handling over 7.6 million tonnes of dry bulk, more than any other Irish port, positioning it as a key driver of regional growth. Golden stresses that “Given Shannon Foynes’ status as a national logistics hub, we need to ensure that Ireland expands it beyond this, and follows in the footsteps of France, by investing in the port to harness offshore renewable energy.”
Speaking at the launch of the new report, Golden concluded: “This year’s MWEI report sends a clear message: the Mid-West is thriving in employment and enterprise, but our economic momentum is at risk if we fail to act decisively on housing, infrastructure, and skills. For investors, employers, policymakers, and communities alike, the report underscores the region’s potential as a growth engine for Ireland, but also warns that continued disparities with Dublin and Cork could widen if immediate action isn’t taken.
“This year’s MWEI is a clear call to action. Without targeted investment in housing, transport, and indigenous enterprise, the Mid-West risks being left behind. Government must move swiftly to implement regional commitments under Project Ireland 2040.”
To read the full MWEI 2025 Report, visit: https://limerickchamber.ie/mwei_2025/
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