ISME: Govt not facing up to 'grim' unemployment situation

The Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Associationhas called on the Government to "stop shilly-shallying" on the issue of unemployment and face up to an already "grim" situation.

The association said that addressing "Government-influenced" business costs, the black economy and anomalies in the Social Welfare system, would greatly enhance the jobs market, "if only the Government had the resolve and the guts to target these issues".

The Quarterly National Household survey, the official recording of the labour force, confirmed that there are 304,500 people unemployed, the highest on record, an increase of 10,900 in a year.

The official unemployment rate now stands at 14.3%, with 54% of those out of work for more than a year.

ISME Chief Executive, Mark Fielding, said: "While the Government is concerning itself with appeasing the paymasters in Washington and Brussels and keeping the public sector on side, the focus on tackling unemployment seems to have waned.

"The level of unemployment is not surprising, when small businesses, the main employment creators, continue to suffer increasing State-enforced costs, lack of bank credit and competition from both the black economy and the social welfare system."