Irish more flexible in hunt for employment

IRISH workers are becoming much more flexible in the face of increasing unemployment.

They are prepared to travel in search of a new job and also consider a career change.

And, most significantly, such factors point to a big change in attitude for many Irish people.

Just two years ago, a majority would have said if they lost their jobs they would look for precisely the same kind of employment – close to their existing place of work.

Now, more are willing to relocate, strongly confirming emigration is an only option for many.

Others, however, prefer to remain in Ireland and weather the storm of recession – offering to try their hand at any kind of job, if necessary.

Within the space of two years, the numbers of people prepared to change jobs, if faced with a crisis, has more than doubled to 16%, according to figures released by Eurostat.

Despite the economic downturn, numbers willing to start their own business if they lost their jobs increased to 11% – though this is still lower than an EU average of 13%.

The figures, however, also reflect a drop in confidence about job security. About three in four were hopeful of holding their jobs, the figure was down from a more optimistic 89% two years ago – the fourth biggest drop in the EU.

Almost half those questioned said they had a family or friend who had recently lost their job; a third had colleagues out of work while 16% of those surveyed had joined the redundancy ranks.

The number who believe they will be in the same job in two years has remained exactly as two years ago, at 59%, despite unemployment rates almost doubling to 12% over the same period.

But the number who believe they would get a new job within six months of being laid off has dropped from 40% to 26% – much less than an EU average of 39%.

The Irish are also among those pessimistic, generally, about the economy with two thirds saying the worst has yet to come.

Large sums of money wing their way to Ireland from the EU, through the European Social Fund designed to improve people’s skills and job prospects, but just 38% of people admit to having heard of it. That’s 6% less than in 2007.

European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs, Vladimir Spidla said he was not surprised by the survey results.

“Europeans are concerned about the impact of the crisis on their jobs and families. That’s why action has been taken at a European level since the very beginning of the crisis to limit its impact on jobs.

“We have recently introduced micro-credit for people who want to start their own business, proposed to give governments 100% funding for training for the next two years and urged member states to make five million apprenticeships available for young people who leave school. These measures will help keep Europeans in jobs and help them back into jobs if they are laid off.”