The Central Statistics Office reported that the number of people signed onto

the Live Register has dropped over the last month.

 

It reported that the amount of people claiming unemployment benefit dropped slightly

by 3, remedy 600. Currently there are 360, sickness 000 people signed onto the Live Register and while

it is the 38th consecutive month that the numbers have decreased it is still a

worryingly large amount of people lacking permanent employment. Minister for Jobs,

Richard Bruton commented on the figures saying “With unemployment still at 10.5%

and many people around the country yet to feel the benefits, we have a long way to

go.”

 

There are concerns among the under-25 age group that the government isn’t

doing enough to stimulate growth in areas of youth employment. The CSO reported

that the number of young people signing on in the under-25 age bracket increased

from December 2014 to January. There are currently 49,289 under-25 year olds

signed on, compared to 47,928 in December. However the overall trend has been

decreasing with figures from January 2014 reporting 60,537 signed on, and January

2013 reporting 68,364.

 

There is also some concern over the statistics from the CSO as while they are

reporting general positive trends in the reduction of long term unemployment, their

figures are not designed to measure unemployment. The figures are impacted by

people signing off for reasons other than gaining employment. Other major factors

playing into the numbers falling include those being put into JobsBridge internships,

or simply young people emigrating. The CSO reported that from April 2013 to April

2014 81,900 people emigrated; this figure is down 7,100 on the previous year.

However it did still report a negative net migration for the fifth year in a row.

 

Young people should rightly be concerned at the slight increase in Live Register

figures for Under-25s. Fears are now understandably abound that history is doomed

to repeat itself with thousands of people still leaving the country and the government

seeming to be ineffective at curbing our brain drain.