Unemployment figures in Cork have risen by nearly 20% in just over one year according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office.

Numbers on the Live Register in Cork have increased from 15,453 to 18,378, a rise of 2,925 or 18.9% between February 2007 and February 2008.

The figure is representative of Cork as a whole, with some areas experiencing far greater fall-off's in terms of unemployment. Cork City has seen a 19.1% increase with the number of people on the live register growing by 1,395 in 12 months, while Carrigaline has seen its unemployment figures jump by a massive 30.8% in that same period. The Central Statistics Office figures show that Ireland's unemployment rate has exceeded that of the UK for the first time in almost a decade.

The Government is set to come under renewed opposition pressure this week over the state of Ireland's economy, with Fine Gael tabling a private members' motion in the Dail challenging the government to take action to restore competitiveness. Speaking in advance of a Dáil debate on unemployment growth Cork TD and Fine Gael Innovation Spokesperson Deirdre Clune expressed her concern at the recent growth in unemployment figures for Cork and the Government's refusal to act to tackle the growing crisis.

"These figures prove that despite what Government Ministers would have us believe the economic slump is hitting real people," she said. "Real people are losing their jobs and watching their houses devalue while Government Ministers just come up with excuses rather than taking action. In 12 months unemployment has increased in every county in Ireland and the number of people on the live register has increased by 30,086.

"This rise in unemployment and the ongoing decline in job creation are a result of flawed Government policies which have resulted in a loss in Irish competitiveness. The Government must now take steps to tackle inflation, improve the national infrastructure including the speed and cost of broadband, and provide school leavers with the skills required for a global knowledge economy while also providing for the up-skilling of hundreds of thousands of workers in at risk jobs," she concluded.

The Department for Enterprise, Trade and Employment were unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.

Comments (0) »

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment