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Dublin: 10 °C Wednesday 19 June, 2013

Midlands show largest percentage drop in employment ratio since 2006

Nationally, there has been a 64 per cent decline in the ratio of employed to unemployed people with less than 5 people working for every person out of work.

Image: Photocall Ireland

THE MIDLANDS REGION has seen a 71 per cent decrease in the ratio of employed to unemployed people between 2006 and 2011 according to figures compiled by Teagasc.

The number of unemployed people in the region, which includes Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath rose from 8,566 in 2006 to 27,476 in 2011.

Nationally, there has been a 64 per cent decline in the ratio of employed to unemployed people with less than 5 people working for every person out of work compared to a figure of almost 13 in 2006.

Employed to Unemployed_National

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Figures show a huge increase in unemployment in the border region with 49,849 people unemployed in 2011 compared with 18,614 in 2006. At regional level this region also has the lowest number of people in employment relative to the size of the unemployed population with just four people in employment for every one person unemployed.

Dublin

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At the other end of the spectrum, the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown area of Dublin shows a high level of employment with almost nine people working for every unemployed person. However this is still a 57 per cent drop from 2006 when this figure was more than 20 – the highest in the country at the time.

Limerick City has the lowest number ratio of employed to unemployed with less than three people in employment for every unemployed person.

limerick

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In Galway, there was a 65 per cent decline in the employed to unemployed ratio at at less than five in 2001 compared to 14 in 2006. There are now more than 14,000 unemployed people in Galway, an increase of almost 10,000 in the five year period.

galway

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These figures, produced by Teagasc are part of a large scale evaluation of employment and unemployment trends in the country in the five year period 2006-2011. The most recent figures for 2012 show that the number of Irish people at work rose for the first time in three years, though the unemployment rate still stood at a high 14.2 per cent at the end of last year.

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Comments (25 Comments)

  • Hmmmmmm. Huge increase in border levels. I wonder if there is any rational logical explanation for this then?

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  • Emigration.

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  • sid 02/03/13 #

    Easy to get comfortable not having to earn for your family aisling , can be quiet an effort to lift yourself out.
    That’s why welfare is a povery trap for you and your kids , genuinely hope your kids go on to third level and employment coz statistics are against them

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    • Sid, welfare is only a trap if you allow it to be, if your kids see you living very happily off the state, and think it’s perfectly ok not to earn your own money, why would they bother? I’m on lone parent but I’m finishing a Masters and I’m making damn sure that my son is aware of what education brings you. I also have no intention of remaining in the welfare system any longer than I’ll have to. It should only ever be temporary and not a career choice.

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  • The IDA are useless and never visit the midland counties to entice industry or employment

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  • so has the midlands the highest rate of emigration or of job creation……..

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  • If you don’t want your kids to become full time life long dolers, then don’t be one yourself. If you think it’s ok to draw it just because you want paid free time, then they will too. I see it happening on my estate. And if you’re on benefits how can you afford gym and coffees everyday and all the extra curricular stuff for the kids? Because i’d love to be on those!!

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  • Haha thanks Diarmuid!

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  • I am, I have plenty of time to give them help with their school work, to bring them after school to dance,football and music lessons. I have no more guilty feelings having to leave them with baby sitters at 7.30 every morning and arrive home after 6.30 to rush making dinner. Having no time to give them. I lost my job, and it was the best thing that happened….I will live on the state for a few years more.

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  • Now you have them on rations? Ought that not read ‘ratio’?

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  • I did pay my taxes, prsi was paid for such occasions

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    • Taxes are paid to fund social welfare when you’re in between jobs, ie looking for a new one. It’s not there to fund years of holidaying, just because you’d rather go out and have fun with your friends than, god forbid, cook dinner at 6 in the evenings.

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  • I know there are people unemployed that don’t want to be but our dole queues are going to be the same the next few years. There are no jobs . If you were on the dole and you were offered a job for €400 a week 9 to 5 Monday to Friday why would you take it when you can get €200 for doing NOTHING an 1 or 2 days on the sly will bring your money up

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    • How are you going to do ” one or two days on the sly” if “there are no jobs”?When will people stop thinking that life on the dole is so great!!!

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    • I’d do it, I have even been trying to get or set up an internship in order to gain employment and I am being hit by a block wall. Now even with the 50 top up I would be earning less that the normal dole but I would be willing to do this so I can get off the dole. My biggest issue is I can’t afford to move out of my area because I could not afford rent else where.

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    • enda why not try better that..even tho i dont fully agree to fas schemes as i see them as cheap labour for employers but if u have a trade u can work week on/week off and still receive payments.. it helps to earn on ur week off to do any jobs u might get urself and u dont have to hide from dole..even tho it doesnt sound ideal it has really helped me earn on my week off.

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    • Your gonna get red thumbs for that but it makes perfect sense. I wouldn’t do it myself but most of the people I know are on the dole, drinking/smoking it every week and not going anywhere, it’s far too handy. What’s depressing is if they place more restrictions on dole access it affects people that really need it

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  • I would not take the job, as I would lose my medical card, house allowance and my children would not get the grant for third level. Are you mad, I go to the gym every morning, meet friends for coffee, have the dinner ready for the kids when they get home from school. Stress free, no long journeys to work, and we meet up and play cards 2/3 times a week.

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  • Diarmuid, I want them to be like you. Right wing, knowing what’s best for everybody. Yes the dole office can see this, I am doing nothing illegal, just was too long like you,, now I see the other side and say to myself who has the better quality of life?

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    • i dont think i know it all or do i be a slave to work..i work on a fas scheme which pays the same as the dole and allows me to earn on my own time but it gives me happiness knowing i worked for my money.. sorry aisling but i wont waste any more of my time on u.

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    • I think you are a troll just trying to wind people up, and I your not a hope you get pulled for some of the employment schemes like Tus, see how much it all is then.

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