Unemployment down 58,000 in last 2 years – Varadkar
- Published on: 30 August 2016
- Last updated on: 22 October 2019
Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar has welcomed the latest CSO figures which show that the unemployment rate fell from 9.1% in August 2015 to 8.3% in August 2016.
In the last 2 years, the number unemployed has fallen by 58,000, from 239,600 in August 2014 to 181,600.
Speaking today, Minister Varadkar said:
"This government continues to make good progress in tackling unemployment, which has fallen from 15% when Fine Gael first took office to 8.3% now. The unemployment level fell by 1,700 to 181,600 in the last month, the lowest August figure since 2008."
"There is clear evidence that the country continues to recover from the worst recession ever witnessed by the majority of workers. It reflects our growing economy, and the strong growth in sectors like construction and tourism."
"I am confident that the package of activation measures that we have in place will continue to produce results and help people back to work."
"However, we still have a lot of work to do and are lagging behind several other EU countries. The level of unemployment and particularly long term unemployment is still too high. We could and should be making more progress in assisting those who became unemployed following the crash, and have been unable to find work since. That is why I will continue to work with the Labour Market Council and other experts, on the development of an Action Plan for Jobless Families.”
ENDS