Foreign nationals account for 20% claiming dole
In May 2009, there were 396,871 on the unadjusted live register, up 96.7% from the 195,115 recording in the same month last year. As reported earlier in the week, the adjusted Live Register figure taking into account seasonal working was more than 402,000.
Every corner of the country has seen massive increases over the year to the end of May. In Dublin, the number on the register has risen from 47,859 to 95,184, an increase of 99%. There has been the same percentage increase in Limerick where the number claiming the dole has risen from 9,911 to 19,810.
In Cork, the increase is 104% from 19,552 to 39,941. In Waterford, the increase is slightly less marked, from 7,979 to 13,661, or 71%.
Foreign nationals on the live register increased by 45,798 to 79,077 over the course of the year. The majority are from the EU accession states.
Yesterday staffing agency Manpower released the results of a survey which found 13% of Irish employers expect to reduce staff numbers between July and September this year. It had asked 634 Irish employers whether they intended to increase or decrease their workforces over the next three months. It said the country’s Net Employment Outlook for the period was -11%, the weakest hiring forecast globally.
Krissie Davies, managing director of Manpower Ireland, said: “The pace of workforce reductions appears to have peaked in Q1 and Q2 of this year. While the Irish labour market is predicted to continue to weaken with 13% of Irish employers envisaging letting staff go, there is finally some evidence, albeit tentative, to suggest that the rate of deterioration may be easing.
