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.
