Press Release

22nd January 2026

LEO Wexford  ranked in the top 3  nationally with 391 new jobs and 11 consecutive years of growth

• 391 new jobs created in 2025
• 19% job increase from 2024
• 11th year of jobs growth
• Net employment gain of 246 in 2025
• 237 total small businesses employing 2,147 people supported by LEO Wexford

Minister of State for Employment, Small Business and Retail, Alan Dillon, T.D., announced the annual results of the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) for 2025 which showed that Local Enterprise Office Wexford supported companies created 391 new jobs in 2025, a net employment gain of 246. This figure was up significantly up from the 329 that were created by LEO Wexford in 2024.

The net jobs created by Local Enterprise Office Wexford supported clients in 2025 was 246, which takes into account companies that amalgamated, ceased trading and those that transferred on to Enterprise Ireland.

The new figures show that LEO Wexford financially supported 237 small businesses in their portfolio across the county; these companies in turn employ 2,147 people.

The total national figures for the Local Enterprise Offices across the country were announced with the LEOs now financially supporting 40,285 jobs across 7,148 companies. This is the most significant number of jobs that the Local Enterprise Offices have supported nationally since their inception in 2014.

In 2025 there were 7,261 new jobs created by LEO client companies nationally with a net jobs creation figure of 2,479. This was up 7% nationally on 2024. From the jobs created, 82% were outside of the Dublin region.

The LEOs also provide substantial funded supports to thousands of other small businesses across the country with programmes such as the Grow Digital Voucher, Lean for Business and Green for Business along with training and mentoring.

Minister Alan Dillon T.D., said; ‘The 31 Local Enterprise Offices continue to be the backbone of local economic development, supporting 40,285 jobs in 2025, the highest level since their establishment. Last year alone, LEO client companies created 7,261 new jobs, delivering a 7% increase on 2024 and marking the 12th consecutive year of jobs growth. Crucially, 82% of these new jobs were created outside Dublin, demonstrating the impact of targeted local supports in every region. From digitalisation to sustainability and export development, our LEOs are helping small businesses compete and scale. Government remains firmly committed to strengthening these supports so that entrepreneurs nationwide can continue to grow and thrive.’

Chief Executive of Wexford County Council, Eddie Taaffe said; ‘The continued success of Local Enterprise Office Wexford is reflected once again in these remarkable job-creation figures. In 2025, LEO supported businesses generated 391 new jobs across the county— a 19% increase year on year resulting in a net gain of 246 jobs. This performance places Wexford as the third-highest job creator among the 31 LEOs nationwide and second highest in terms of net job creation. These results are driven by the ambition and resilience of Wexford’s entrepreneurs, and we are proud to stand behind them as they innovate, expand, and create high-quality employment throughout the county.’

An Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, Cllr Joe O’Sullivan, commented “These figures highlight the significant impact that the Local Enterprise Offices and their clients are making in driving economic growth across the country. The creation of 391 jobs is only a small part of the role that LEO is playing in fostering entrepreneurship and growing enterprise in towns, villages and communities all over county Wexford”.

Breege Cosgrave, Head of Enterprise and Economic Development added; ‘These jobs created by our clients only reflect those who have received financial funding from their LEO and do not capture the thousands more that receive supports such as Lean, Green and Digital supports or training and mentoring. These positive numbers are a strong reflection of the resilience of the small business sector and we look forward to supporting these businesses in 2026 and also helping new budding entrepreneurs to get started”.

The Local Enterprise Offices located in the local authorities and funded through Enterprise Ireland support thousands of small Irish businesses and entrepreneurs nationwide. Since their establishment in 2014 they have been the first stop shop for entrepreneurs and small businesses providing a range of supports including financial, mentoring, training and sector specific expertise to help guide businesses at any stage of their development.

Key initiatives to foster entrepreneurship include Local Enterprise Week, National Women’s Enterprise Day, the Student Enterprise Programme and the National Enterprise Awards. The Local Enterprise Offices are also running a campaign encouraging small businesses to save time, money and energy by availing of their competitiveness and productivity supports including Green, Lean and Digital for Business. www.AllinADaysWork.ie For more information on the Local Enterprise Offices go to www.LocalEnterprise.ie

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For further information: Annette Rowsome, Senior Enterprise Development Officer, Local Enterprise Office, Wexford County Council, Carricklawn, Wexford Telephone 053 9196620 Mobile 087 3813449 annette.rowsome@wexfordcoco.ie www.localenterprise.ie/Wexford