More essential workers are lone parents than other employees across the workforce, according to the ESRI.
The study found that over half of people providing key services across the country have children.
22% of essential workers in the research are healthcare workers.
Paul Redmond, a research officer from the ESRI outlines the staff they took into account in the study.
He says: "We looked at all types of essential employees based on the government guidelines of who is and who isn't an essential worker.
"And it includes employees across a range of sectors like health, transport, armed forces, defence but also importantly retail.
"The healthcare workers make up about 30% of essential employees so that leaves another 70% in other sectors. Again such as retail such as transport."
Meanwhile, a survey from Chambers Ireland has found that counties along the Atlantic Economic Corridor are feeling the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic more keenly than in other regions.
Chambers Ireland says the next government needs to give county councils extra money to help boost economies within regional towns.
The study shows companies in the tourism sector say their revenue for 2020 is about a third of what they were expecting.
