Power: Jobless rate skewed

ECONOMIST Jim Power yesterday claimed a 14.6% unemployment rate in Limerick — the highest in the country — was distorted owing to a restricted city area within the existing boundary footprint.

Mr Power said his study had found that the real figure for unemployment in the greater city area was 6.9%, which compared to an unemployment figure of 5.3% in Cork and 6.5% in Waterford.

The 3.6% unemployment rate for Co Limerick, he said, was exceptionally low but could be attributed to huge job numbers in city suburbs such as Raheen and Castletroy, which are outside the city boundary and in the county administrative area.