Uneven fall in unemployment

Regional unemployment rates indicate that the jobs recovery is concentrated in the Dublin commuter belt and the Cork area. The most recent figures were published in the Quarterly National Household Survey covering April-June when the national rate was 11.8 per cent.

Unemployment varied from 10 per cent in Dublin and 11.1 per cent in the South West to 14.3 per cent in the South East region. A 13 per cent rate prevailed in the West, Midland and Border regions.

The number of live register claimants has fallen by 37,461 over the year leading up to July 2014. A total of 404,515 people were on the register.

Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton commented that “too many people are still out of work and therefore not benefitting from the recovery that is now well under way.”

She added that the Budget would also contain a capital programme and an improved system for child income support “so that those moving from welfare to work will retain payments for children to ensure that people are better off in work.”