The greater good is the labour market, stupid

THE news on the jobs front this week has not made for very pleasant reading.

The latest Quarterly National Household Survey from the CSO, which measures employment in the economy, showed that the number of full-time jobs dropped by 4,300 in the 12-month period to April of this year.

The construction sector is the biggest casualty, with a decline of 26,800 jobs over the past year. Manufacturing is also under serious pressure — a long-established trend.