ISME calls for action plan on jobs as 8,000 are made redundant in a month

THE number of people made redundant in May almost trebled compared with the same month in 2008.

According to figures released by the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment, a total of 8,042 people were made redundant in May. That compares with 2,462 people in May 2008, an increase of 227%. Almost half (49%) of the redundancies were in construction and manufacturing.

However, 34% of job losses were in the services sector and females now account for 31% of redundancies, confirming that job losses continue to be spread throughout the whole economy.

In the year to the end of May, 35,925 people lost their jobs. In the corresponding five-month period last year the figure was 13,489, a rise of 166%.

ISME said the department is being notified of 350 redundancies every day.

It said job retention must now be the Government’s priority. It said if immediate policies are not introduced, an already catastrophic situation will become a national disaster.

ISME chief executive Mark Fielding said: “The situation has already gone beyond a crisis, as small business employers are already anticipating a further 70,000 job losses over the next three months.

“We urgently require a Government with a coherent action plan that can be implemented with confidence. The plan needs to prioritise employment, with incentives for business to maintain jobs.”