RecruitAuto.ie, Ireland’s specialist auto industry recruitment site welcomes the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) which show that the unemployment rate in July has fallen to 9.5 per cent.
The number of people in work over the past year has risen by 57,100 according to the Quarterly National Household survey data released this morning. That is more than 1,300 new jobs added each week since the start of 2015 and that every region in the country has seen jobs growth and unemployment falls over the last year.
Announcing the latest figures, the Minister for Business and Employment, Ged Nash TD, said, “I am particularly pleased to see that the vast majority of the jobs being created are full-time jobs with an increase of 56,800 full-time employment on this time last year and 300 in part-time employment.”
“The figures released by the CSO also show that underemployment is down significantly by almost 8%. I think this shows that as the economic recovery continues the jobs this Government are helping to create are full-time, decent jobs. The twin track approach of the Action Plan for Jobs and Pathways to Work are delivering.”
“The number of people who are long-term unemployed is also continuing to fall and now stands at 5.5%, down from 6.8% last year. However, it is still too high and I and my colleagues are determined to return this country to full employment by 2018, with a strong focus on helping the long-term unemployed to access the training and up-skilling opportunities which will assist them in returning to the workforce.”
According to the CSO figures, the number of people who are unemployed has decreased by 43,300 or 17% on this time last year. This is the twelfth consecutive quarter where unemployment has decreased on an annual basis.
Employment has increased by 3% in the year to Q2 2015. Increases are recorded across the majority of sectors, with strong growth particularly in the Construction sector, which is up 18.5% and Financial, Insurance and Real Estate, which is up 5.5%.
Minister Nash concluded, “As we strive to achieve our goal of full employment, my focus is firmly on ensuring that the jobs being created are decent, sustainable jobs that reward people for their work.”
Also speaking today following the publication of the CSO results, The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD said: “In the last three months another 19,000 lives have been put back on track as people found work. Since we started the Action Plan for Jobs 125,000 lives have been helped back on track. Each one of those lives back on track means a family improved and a community enhanced. It is also job-creation that allows us to grow tax revenues and ultimately improve services and cut taxes, and that is why we have made employment our very top priority.
“We are clearly moving in the right direction, but any momentum gained can be easily lost by a change of focus or a change in policy. Carefully and very deliberately we have rebuilt our economy based on growing exports, encouraging and supporting enterprise and trying to reward work at all times. We have the policy mix right and, if we keep that course, we can secure the recovery so that all can participate in the benefits of that recovery. More jobs will allow us reduce tax burdens which will encourage enterprise which will then allow us invest more in vital services.
“But if we don’t keep our focus on jobs then none of those things are possible. That is why my determination, and the government’s determination is to secure full employment by 2018 and to get all those who want to work in to a job. The opportunity is there now, but the recovery is still fragile and can be wasted by the wrong policies and the wrong focus on what is the number one priority – jobs.
Finally, Minister Bruton also noted that 125,000 extra jobs have been created since the start of 2012 when the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs was launched and that has helped drive down the unemployment rate from a high of 15.1% to 9.5% in July and has helped further slow the numbers of Irish nationals emigrating.
The figures published today also show:
· 57,100 extra jobs were created in the past 12 months
· 19,000 extra jobs were created in Q2 alone, up from 15,200 in Q1 and 11,600 in Q4 2014.
· Following the recent trend, full-time employment has increased by 56,800 over the past year
· 11 of 14 economic sectors are showing jobs growth over the past year, with particularly strong quarterly results in professional, scientific and technical (+5,700), construction (+3,300) and industry (+1,800) and agriculture, forestry and fishing (+2,700)
· Numbers self-employed are up 11,800 over the year, or 3.3% – faster than the rate of employment growth generally of 3%
· Long-term unemployment rate has fallen from 6.8% to 5.5% over the year
