Jobs boost for PayPal as new AI team will add 100 high-tech roles to data science centre in Dublin
The move represents a move higher up the value-added chain for PayPal's operations in Ireland, which began as a customer service operation in 2003.
It also rolls back what has been a series of job losses in 2023 and 2024 and a retrenchment that saw the company close its large Dundalk operation, with most staff retained but moving to remote working two years ago.
Two rounds of job cuts in 2024 reduced the workforce by close to 300. Even so the business still employs around 1,500 people in Ireland, down from a peak of 2,000.
'As we shape the next generation of digital payments, the talent and innovation coming from Ireland will play a critical role,' said Aaron J Webster, global chief risk officer at PayPal.
We are proud to deepen our commitment to Ireland
'This expansion reflects both our confidence in the local ecosystem and our ambition to build an AI-driven, data- powered future that embeds trust and safety in every transaction.
"We are proud to deepen our commitment to Ireland and to invest in highly skilled roles that will help shape the future of PayPal globally.'
The new Dublin based jobs will span AI engineering, data science, software development, risk modelling and cyber security. The expansion is supported by the IDA .
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Peter Burke said it represented 'a strong vote of confidence' in the country.
'The creation of 100 high-skilled roles in cutting-edge fields like AI and data science reinforces our status as a global hub for innovation, and I'd like to commend PayPal for its ongoing partnership with IDA Ireland,' he said.
The hiring now underway at PayPal reflects the mixed impact the rapid adoption of generative AI is having on industry. While it creates demand for high skilled technologists in some sectors, there are signs that it saps demand for graduates in others.
A report earlier this month from recruitment firm Morgan McKinley warned that Ireland may be following the UK, which has seen large accountancy and consulting companies slash graduate roles by up to 33pc because of AI.
Their 'Irish Employment Monitor' found evidence of a reduction this year in graduate-level hiring, despite a booming economy.
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