Local Labour Market Concentration in Ireland

We measure local labour market (LLM) concentration in Ireland from 2008 to 2019 using an employment share Herfindahl-Hirschmann Index (HHI), a proxy for monopsony power. LLM concentration in Ireland has followed a similar pattern to the US and UK since 2008, surging as firms closed during the financial crisis and falling throughout the recovery. There is substantial variation in HHI across regions, with the Midland having the highest average HHI in every year. We also describe the characteristics of the 5,502 LLMs in Ireland.