Jobless rate still the envy of Europe

IRELAND’S unemployment rate continues to be the envy of Europe, despite increasing from 3.6% in 2001 to 4.2% in 2005.

Women are less likely to be unemployed but are still paid lower salaries than their male counterparts, although the gender gap has improved in the past decade.

Ireland had the lowest unemployment rate in the EU in 2005 at less than half the EU average. The long-term unemployment rate was 1.4% in 2004, far better than the EU average of 4.1%.