Relentless increase in unemployment

21 Nov 2008

Today's Quarterly National Household Survey issued by the Central Statistics Office confirms the on-going increase in unemployment. Seasonally adjusted, the rate now stands at 6.3% up from 5.4% in the second quarter of the year.

These most recent figures record the first annual decline in employment levels since 1991 and an unprecedented increase of 45,000 people unemployed since the last quarter (23,200 seasonally adjusted). The CSO figures relate to the overall situation over a period up to the end of August and we know from the latest redundancy figures that a record number of people lost their jobs in September and October. At this stage it seems inevitable that the unemployment rate will reach 7% or more by the end of the year.

"The relentless increase in unemployment is a cause of major concern and people who are losing their jobs must be supported" said John Stewart, Co-ordinator of the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed. "The changes to unemployment payments announced in the Budget and as outlined in the current Social Welfare Bill will make it more difficult for people to access their entitlements and will inevitably lead to even further delays in people receiving their payments unless additional staff resources are allocated to local social welfare offices" John added.

The INOU are calling on all relevant state agencies to maximise their efforts to continue to attract inward investment to replace the jobs that are being lost and to ensure that the necessary job seeking and other supports are available both to existing unemployed people and those who are losing their jobs. We also welcome the recent launch of Enterprise Ireland's Going Global Strategy to support businesses in the services sector to sell into overseas markets and call for these types of practical supports to be made available to other sectors of the economy.

For further information contact: John Stewart, INOU Co-ordinator, (01) 856 0088