News & Events

More than 14,600 people leave the Live Register to take up work – Minister Nash

The Minister for Business & Employment, Ged Nash TD, has welcomed new figures from the CSO which shows that the number of people on the Live Register is continuing to fall.

CSO figures show unemployment rate now stands at 10.1%

As of the end of February, the standard unemployment rate stood at 10.1%. This represents a fall of 10.8% on the same figure last year and a two year decrease of more than 17%.

While there is usually a slight drop in the Live Register between January and February, due to seasonal factors, this year’s month-on-month decrease has seen a dramatic fall of more than double the same period last year.

Minister Nash said, “Today’s Live Register figures show that we are very much on track to bring unemployment down to below 10% before the end of this year. In fact, it looks like we will achieve this figure well before the Government target of end 2015.”

“As Minister for Employment, I am particularly heartened to see that more than 14,600 people left the Live Register to take up work in January. That is a new beginning at the start of a new year for thousands of families, right across the country.”

“Our strategies are working and clearly the Action Plan for Jobs and Pathways to Work are delivering what everyone in Government is determined to see – full employment by 2018.”

According to the CSO, long-term unemployment continues to see small improvements but remains high.

Minister Nash continued, “We as a Government will not rest until we see the long-term unemployed figures falling as dramatically as those in other sectors. There are encouraging signs with the percentage of long-term unemployed down by 9.8% in the past year and a small but significant drop month-on-month decrease of 1.3% in February compared to January.”

“Through Pathways to Work, and together with employers, we need to concentrate on assisting those who are on the Live Register the longest to be afforded the chance to have the dignity of work.”

ENDS

For further information:

Press Office, Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation 01- 6312200 or press.office@djei.ie