The American Chamber of Commerce Ireland (AmCham) shared key findings from its FDI Insights survey of members, when it hosted its Mid-West Conference and Dinner at The Limerick Strand Hotel recently.
The conference, which brought together US multinational companies based across Limerick, Tipperary and Clare, heard that US multinationals in the Mid-West remain positive about stability and growth, with 40% planning to increase employment levels in the next 12 months and 40% planning to maintain existing staff levels. However, in Q4 2025 67% of respondents in the Mid-West region indicated challenges in filling existing vacancies in their Irish operations, citing housing supply (50%) and general availability of talent (50%) as the leading barriers to filling vacant roles.
The findings highlight talent as a key focus for respondents in the region. In AmCham’s Q1 2026 FDI Insights Survey, 40% of US multinationals in the Mid-West identified talent attraction as the number one challenge Ireland must overcome for their company to expand here, up from 9% in Q1 2023.
Nationally, 10% of respondents cited talent attraction in Q1 2026, with cost competitiveness listed by 27% of respondents as the leading challenge Ireland must address. The findings also point to particular pressures in engineering, with 60% of Mid-West respondents reporting an engineering skills gap in Q1 2026, compared with 29% nationally.
At the event, AmCham CEO Paul Sweetman launched #WhyIreland #WhyMid-West, a factsheet which highlights the attractiveness of the region to US multinationals. The Mid-West is a proven investment location, with over 28,000 people employed across 158 IDA client companies in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary. Limerick has ranked as Europe’s 2nd Micro City of the Future for three consecutive years. It also noted the lower home prices across the region, costing approx. 22% less than national average and increase in new home completions by 266% in a decade.
The conference also featured a number of panels, including driving competitiveness to deliver investment and growth; Leveraging AI and digital to deliver the next wave of FDI; and a Fireside Chat: Budget 2027 – Priorities for Growth.
During the event, AmCham presented the Mid-West Region Cairdeas Award to St Gabriel’s Foundation, a Limerick-based organisation dedicated to supporting children and young people with disabilities and their families. The award is presented to a not-for-profit organisation that has had a positive impact on the community.
