The Monthly Unemployment figures are produced by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) using benchmarks/estimates from the quarterly Labour Force Survey and trends in the monthly Live Register figures, these figures are also seasonally adjusted. One of the consequences of this methodology is that previously published figures can be revised. At times this revision can be quite dramatic, which is certainly the case with the Monthly Unemployment figures for people aged 15-24.
On May 5th 2022, the CSO published the Monthly Unemployment (MU) figures for April 2022. 129,500 people were unemployed in April 2022, a drop of 56,800 over the year. While the Monthly Unemployment Rate (MUR) was 4.8%, a decline of 2.7 percentage points. Unemployment decreased for both men and women over the period, by 31,100 and 25,800 respectively. Women accounted for 46% of the unemployed in both April 2022 and in April 2021.
In April 2022, 20,300 people aged 15-24 were unemployed: 40,600 fewer young people than a year ago. Their MUR was 5.6% in April 2022, 14.5 percentage points lower than April 2021. In early April the CSO published the March Monthly Unemployment figures and that stage 45,600 young people were deemed unemployed and their MUR was 12.3%. In the figures published today these statistics were revised down to 25,400 and 7.2% respectively.
Over the year, April 2021 to April 2022, unemployment amongst young men decreased by 71% to 9,000, and their unemployment rate was 5%. The revised March MU for young men was 12,000 and their MUR 6.7%, down from 20,200 and 11.4% as published last month.
Unemployment amongst young women decreased by 62% to 11,300, and their unemployment rate was 6.2%. The revised March MU for young women was 13,400 and their MUR 7.6%, down from 25,400 and 13.1% as published last month. In April, 2022, women accounted for 56% of those unemployed in this age category, in comparison to 49% in April, 2021.
For people aged 25-74, 109,200 people were unemployed, a decrease of 16,300 people over the year and their MUR decreased by 1.1pp to 4.7%. Over the year unemployment decreased for men by 13% to 60,300, and their MUR was 4.9%. Unemployment also decreased for women by 13% to 48,800, and their Monthly Unemployment Rate (MUR) was 4.5%. Women accounted for 45% of those unemployed in this age category in both April, 2022 and in April, 2021.