2 in 3 people aged over 15 have a job.
The number of people working is at the highest rate in more than 25 years.
The latest Labour Force data, from the Central Statistics Office, shows two-thirds of people over the age of 15 have jobs.
The figures, for July to September, show the unemployment rate is down slightly, to 4.5%, compared to 4.7% at the same time last year.
In the midlands, around 161,500 people are currently in employment.
Colin Hanley, from the CSO, says employment rates are at their highest levels since the figures were first tracked in 1998: