Irish YouTubers supported equivalent of 1,600 full time jobs in 2020

New research finds 60% of parents agree that YouTube has been helpful for their kids since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic

Life

Melanie Murphy

Irish YouTubers supported the equivalent of 1,600 full-time jobs in Ireland in 2020. Oxford Economics also estimated that the total contribution of YouTube’s creators to Ireland’s GDP was €30 million in 2020.

Part of YouTube’s From Opportunity to Impact report, research also found that 74% of Irish users agree that YouTube has been helpful since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic with 60% of parents who use YouTube agreeing that YouTube has been helpful for their children since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Commissioned by YouTube, the report was developed in partnership with Oxford Economics to assesses the economic, societal, and cultural benefits of the video hosting website in Ireland.

With around one billion hours of YouTube videos watched every day across the world, it has become an unrivalled learning repository with 91% of Irish users accessing the platform to gather information and knowledge. Users turn to YouTube to learn new hobbies and solve practical problems with 68% regularly watching ‘how to’ and DIY videos for example. 

Ireland’s global YouTube presence is growing. Creators in Ireland have cultivated a diverse and far-reaching audience with over 95% of time watched on content produced by channels in Ireland coming from viewers outside of the country. 

The number of Irish creator channels with over 1 million subscribers has increased by 20% year over year, with over 70 channels attracting those audience levels. There has also been growth in the number of channels that have 100,000+ subscribers reaching 450.

YouTube provides a vehicle for Irish creators, like Melanie Murphy (pictured) to find opportunities and economic success by sharing content with audiences, locally and internationally. Murphy’s videos on health, culture, and motherhood have been viewed more than 71 million times and she has earned a full-time income for the past seven years from her YouTube presence.

“It is inspiring to see the many ways YouTube is touching the lives of Irish people like Melanie,” said Pedro Pina, head of YouTube EMEA. “As the only open platform that allows people to both share their voice and the revenue derived from their work, we’re bringing to an entire new generation of creative entrepreneurs – regardless of who they are or where they come from – the chance to build thriving businesses on YouTube.” 

TechCentral Reporters

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