Still much work to be done in tackling joblessness but CSO figs outline Govt’s Action Plan for Jobs has us moving in the right direction.
Speaking following the release this afternoon (Thursday) of the CSO Quarterly National Household Survey Quarter 1 figures for 2013, which show that unemployment now stands at 13.7%, Fine Gael Dublin Central Deputy, Paschal Donohoe, said the drop below 14% represents a psychological marker in tackling the jobless figures.
Deputy Donohoe went on to say that there is still an enormous amount of work to be done in getting our people back to work but today’s figures show that the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs is working and is having a very real impact on unemployment.
“The unemployment crisis that we have been experiencing in Ireland has been the worst we have seen for a generation. As a result an economy that was built, by Fianna Fáil, on property and debt, 250,000 lost their jobs in the three years before we took office.
“Since coming to office this Government’s primary focus has been on stemming the flow of job losses and on prioritising the sectors with the greatest chance of job creation. While we still have a considerable way to go, today’s CSO figures show that the Action Plan for Jobs is working and that more than 2,000 jobs per month have been created in the private sector since its implementation.
“In the past 12 months an additional 20,000 jobs have been created across the economy, with an increase of 0.4% in employment in the past quarter, seasonally adjusted. The unemployment rate has dipped below 14% for the first time since August 2010, falling from 14.1% to 13.7% in the quarter and the total number of people unemployed has fallen below 300,000; now standing at 292,000
“Of even greater significance is the fact that we are seeing positive moves in terms of the long-term unemployment rate which has fallen from 9.5% to 8.4% in the past year. This is the first time this figure has dipped below that mark in three years, since 2010.
“Ensuring that people can upskill and retrain is critical to ensuring they do not fall into long-term joblessness. Ireland’s international reputation has been completely transformed in the last couple of years, with exports for 2012 hitting their highest ever levels, at 16% above the pre-crisis high; the IDA and Enterprise having record years last year and 2012 showing the first annual increase in employment in five years.
“The Government recognises that for many, these changes are not yet being felt in a real way. It is vital however, that through labour activation measures such as Pathways to Work, JobBridge, SpringBoard and Skillnets we will ensure that the people are ready and able to work when opportunities are made available to them.”