DUBLIN, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Employment growth in Ireland slowed to 1.1% year-on-year in the third quarter, the lowest since the COVID-19 pandemic, with a greater expansion of the labour force pushing the jobless rate to a higher than estimated 5.3%, data showed on Thursday.

The number of people in work in Ireland has grown rapidly in recent years to over 2.8 million from 2.4 million before the pandemic but the rate has softened in recent quarters. Separate monthly data had shown unemployment ticking over 5%.

Below are the main points from the latest Central Statistics Office data:

• Employment rose 1.1% year-on-year in Q3, down from 2.3% in Q2, the slowest since early 2021. Growth was flat for a second straight quarter on a seasonally adjusted basis.

• The employment rate among 18-24 year-olds fell by 4.8%. All other age groups grew by more than 2.3%, except for the 35-44-year-old group (-0.5%).

• Transport and storage saw the biggest rise (+15.9%); public administration (-6.7%), accommodation and food and ICT (both -4.3%) fell most.

• The youth jobless rate climbed to 14.1% from 11.5% a year ago; overall unemployment rose for a third quarter to 5.3%, from a near-record low of 4.0% at end-2024.

• The estimated labour force - the sum of all people aged 15 to 89 years who were either employed or unemployed - rose by 1.9% year-on-year, though that was also down significantly from a year ago.

(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

((padraic.halpin@thomsonreuters.com; +353 1 500 1504; Reuters Messaging: padraic.halpin.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))