Slight drop in Seasonally Adjusted Live Register Figure

4 Feb 2005

The latest Live Register figures released today show that the seasonally adjusted figures fell by 2,100 in the month December 2004 and January 2005, while the unadjusted figures shows a monthly increase of 1,727. The total number now claiming an unemployment payment is 157,200.
‘This slight decrease is to be welcomed’, said Eric Conroy, INOU General Secretary. ‘However, it must be borne in mind that the large number of redundancies announced in January, over 2000 job losses, have not yet impacted on these figures. The figures are likely to increase as these newly redundant workers will be drawing their unemployment benefit if realistic alternative job opportunities are not available to them.’

The monthly decrease in the seasonally adjusted figures was made up of a decrease of 1,200 females and 700 males. Increased growth in female participation in the labour market is welcomed if Ireland is to achieve the European target of 60% female participation rate.