Number employed in Irish design and craft companies grows as revenues rise
DCCI chair Andrew Bradely, chief executive Rosemary Steen and head of operations Mary Blanchfield pictured with Tangent head of entrepreneurship Gavan Drohan and Carl McAteer, previous designer at Farrell Furniture
Design and crafts businesses operating in Ireland saw revenues rise last year, while the number of those employed in the sector increased.
There are now 113,000 people employed in craft and design here, according to a new report from Design and Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI).
This reflects an increase of 7.6pc from 2021.
Around 59,000 were directly employed in the sector in 2022, an increase of 5,000 from the prior year.
The remainder were employed in design related and craft services, DCCI reported.
DCCI also highlighted that 75pc of craft and design businesses currently operating in Ireland are now located outside of Dublin.
Total turnover for the sector for the year to last May stood at €10.3bn, recent research from Grant Thornton showed.
The craft and design-intensive sectors generated €4.5bn in Gross Value Added (GVA) in the year to last May. This was up 25pc since the previous report carried out in 2021.
Around 40pc of the products created by companies across the sector are now exported.
A survey of 540 DCCI clients in 2022 also revealed that the top 150 firms saw revenues per full employee rise by 6pc to €107,000 from €101,000 the prior year.
Domestic sales for these top performers were €76.1m for 2022.
Craft and design businesses suffered a slowdown in sales during the pandemic as a result of the retail shutdown, as well as the disappearance of tourism, during lockdowns.
Revenues for these top 150 businesses dropped by 16pc in 2020.
The number of companies looking to join the national agency for the sector has also risen after the easing of pandemic restrictions. Registrations were up 12pc at the end of 2022, with over 3,600 businesses now registered with the council.
“The research shows that the design and craft sector is ambitious for growth, not only in Ireland but globally, Our sector is a huge contributor to the overall economy,” chief executive Rosemary Steen said.
“Not only that but the design and craft sector is also sustainability focused and has moved into the digital era, selling online and exporting abroad. The sector is in a great position growing strongly and with more supports it can excel in its economic contribution.”
