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| Source: CSO |
The CSO reported today that the seasonally adjusted Irish Live Register total increased from 169,700 in November to 171,800 in December, an increase of 2,100. This compares with an increase of 5,000 in November.
In the year to December 2007, there was an unadjusted increase of 14,987 (+9.6%). This compares with an unadjusted increase 13,193 (+8.9%) in the year to November 2007.
Other features include:
The monthly increase in the Seasonally Adjusted series consisted of an increase of 1,900 males and 200 females.
The standardised unemployment rate in December was 4.7%. This compares with 4.4%, the latest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate from the Quarterly National Household Survey.
In the month, the estimated number of casual and part-time workers on the Live Register was 8,153 males and 12,304 females.
The Live Register is not designed to measure unemployment.
It includes part-time workers (those who work up to three days a week), seasonal and casual workers entitled to Jobseekers Benefit or Allowance. Unemployment is measured by the Quarterly National Household Survey and the latest seasonally adjusted figure, for June-August 2007, is 97,700 persons unemployed.
House building slowdown leading to rise in male unemployment - IBEC
IBEC, business lobby group today said that the marked slowdown in housing activity during 2007 has resulted in a significant rise in the number of males out of work.
Commenting on the figures IBEC Senior Economist Fergal O’Brien said:
“It was inevitable that the slowdown in housing activity would lead to job losses in the sector. This is now clearly evident from the trend in the Live Register during 2007. While the total number on the register during the year increased by 15100, males accounted for 14200 of this. The number of males out of work has increased by over 15% in the past year. The fact that the labour market for females has remained strong would suggest that the job difficulties to date have been confined to the construction sector.
“The standardised unemployment rate increased to 4.7% in December, up from 4.4% a year earlier, and is likely to increase further during 2008 as job losses in the sector accelerate. The Irish labour market faces its most significant challenge for some time this year as redundancies are likely to increase and net new job creation will fall to between 10000 and 20000 jobs."
