ISME: Govt must tackle 'stubborn unemployment'

In response to the latest Live Register figures published today, ISME has called on the Government to outline its strategy to tackle "stubborn unemployment".

The Irish Small & Medium Enterprises Association asserted that the Jobs Initiative is not working and a more comprehensive and holistic approach is urgently required to get people off the dole queues.

The latest seasonally adjusted live register figures confirm that 449,600 people, are claiming assistance, up 1,600 from the previous month.

Consequently, the unemployment rate stands at 14.4%.

ISME Chief Executive, Mark Fielding, said: "The Government’s jobs initiative, while well-meaning, is only putting a sticking plaster over the wound and not addressing the core problem of unemployment and in particular the explosion of long-term unemployment, which has become embedded in the economy.

"Educational and training programmes, internship schemes and other such initiatives have a very limited capacity to get people back into the workforce. The best and most efficient way to create and protect employment is to ensure certainty which will generate confidence in business, increase consumer spending, which in turn will lead to job creation.

"The Government must publish and implement a comprehensive three year plan, dealing with business concerns, including the high cost base, lack of credit and late payments, which will provide clarity to taxpayers."