Press release
Minister Doherty Welcomes Labour Force Survey Results for Quarter 3 2019
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty TD, today welcomed the latest findings in the Labour Force Survey (for Quarter 3 2019) which show that employment has increased by 53,700 or 2.4% bringing total employment to over 2.3m persons. In particular, Minister Doherty welcomed the drop in long-term unemployment, which decreased by almost a third (15,300) over the year, bringing the total number of long-term unemployed persons to 34,900.
Minister Doherty commented:
“I particularly welcome the decreases in the numbers of long-term unemployed as well as the drop in youth unemployment. The government's Jobs Strategy and the employment activation measures of my own department are clearly paying dividends, evidenced by the fact that today’s continued increase in employment is the twenty-ninth consecutive quarter where employment has grown on an annual basis.
“While we are nearing full employment now, I am committed to putting in place further measures to help those who are particularly challenged from accessing the jobs market. In the last Budget, for example, I secured an additional €2 million for Community Employment participants to engage in vital training programmes to prepare them for employment in the open labour market. I have provided €2.5m in additional expenditure for tailored activation measures aimed at vulnerable groups such as women returning to the labour market as well as Travellers and ex-offenders.
“With regard to women in particular, I intend to develop a pilot scheme to assist women to return to the workplace. The participation rate for women in the workforce is 56.2%, compared to 69.1% for men. There are many talented, skilled and productive women out there who have stepped out of the workplace – to raise a family or care for a relative – who wish to return but may lack the confidence or recent experience to access a job. I hope to partner up with some of Ireland’s top blue chip companies to develop a pilot scheme of ‘Returnships’ whereby women can re-enter the workforce and quickly build up the confidence and experience they need to actively engage within the workforce.”
The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection has numerous initiatives aimed at jobseekers and employers. The department hosted a number of Employer Roadshows across the country this year.
The aim of the Employer Roadshows was to promote supports and incentives available to employers from the Department and to encourage employers to avail of schemes and incentives and, in particular those that will assist jobseekers who are in need of support to enter the labour market - including information on schemes such as JobsPlus, the Wage Subsidy Scheme, the Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS) and the recruitment services and other supports available from Intreo and JobsIreland.ie.
This approach supports Future Jobs Ireland, launched earlier this year by the Taoiseach, which outlined the longer-term ambitions for the future of our economy.
ENDS