Construction fuels jobs growth as workforce exceeds two million
The survey shows Ireland’s workforce has exceeded two million for the first time in the state’s history.
The CSO’s quarterly National Household Survey, published yesterday, also shows Ireland’s employment level and workforce grew at almost treble the EU average for the second quarter of 2006.
Employment levels grew by 4.7%, with the labour market increasing by 4.8%. That compares to an EU average of 1.7% and 1.2% respectively.
The construction industry accounted for almost a quarter, or 20,300, of the country’s new workforce.
More than half of the country’s new workers are foreign nationals, who make up 55% of the 87,800 increase in the workforce.
The total workforce of Ireland now stands at 2,017,000 people.
The biggest employment increases were in the 25-34 year age category, which seen an overall increase of 36,000 jobs in the 12 months since April 2005.
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micháel Martin welcomed the figures.
“They are another endorsement of this Government’s employment and economic policy,” he said.
“That we now have over two million people in active employment in our country is another indication of the strides we have made over the past decade.”
However Labour finance spokesman, Ruairi Quinn, said that while the growth is welcome the economy’s continued “over-reliance” on the construction industry is a “cause for concern”.
“There is an imbalance in the economy in this regard and the worry is that if, as some have predicted, the building industry begins to taper off, what will the effect be on the 250,000 people currently employed in construction,” he said.
“The Government can’t simply piggy back on the hard work put in by the people, it needs to provide the infrastructure and resources associate with that growth.”
Across the country there are regional disparities, with employment in the BMW region increasing by 4.1%, compared to 4.7% for the south and east.
While employment increased, so too did the number of those out of work, rising by 5,800 to 91,400.
Long-term unemployment accounted for 29,600 of that figure.
Meanwhile, just under 28% of males (314,300) in employment have a third-level education, compared to 40% (337,300) of women.
* Employment stands at 2,017,000, the first time the workforce has exceeded two million.
* More than 84,000 from the new EU member states form part of the workforce.
* Just less than a third of those employed have a third-level qualification.
* Employment and the labour force grew by 4.7% and 4.8% respectively, outstripping the EU averages of 1.7% and 1.25%.
* Since 1998, the number of people in employment has grown by more than half a million.
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