Cork unemployment numbers soar

DOLE queues in Cork increased by the largest percentage of any county over the last 12 months, figures from the Central Statistics Office reveal.

The numbers on the dole in the county rose from 31,535 in January 2009 to 44,893 in the same month this year, a percentage increase of 42%. The average increase for all the counties was just 30%. In Longford the figure was just 23%.

The figure in Cork was driven up by large increases in towns outside the city centre. Cork city saw an increase of 40%. But that was low compared to the likes of Bantry (64%), Skibbereen (67%) and Carrigaline (58%).

The nearest counties to Cork in terms of increase in dole queue numbers were Carlow (41%), Meath (41%) and Kerry (40%).

Nationally the number of people on the Live Register reached 436,936 by the end of January an annual increase of 110,664.

The Central Statistics Office reported that in January there were 355,541 Irish nationals and 81,395 non-Irish nationals on the live register. “In the year to January 2010 the number of Irish nationals on the Live Register increased by 93,270, while the corresponding annual increase for non-Irish nationals was 17,394,” it said. “Among non-Irish nationals the largest number on the register, were nationals from the EU15 to EU27 states (45,652) while the smallest number were from the EU15 states outside of Ireland and the Britain (4,186).”

Non-Irish nationals represented 18.6% of all persons on the Live Register in January 2010.

Estimates from the Quarterly National Household Survey for July to September 2009 show that non-Irish nationals represented an estimated 14.7% of all persons in the labour force aged between 17 and 64 years.

Commenting on the live register figures, economist Alan McQuaid of Bloxhams has predicted there will not be a major rise in the current unemployment rate of 12.7% this year and certainly not to the level of 17% which was being forecast by some analysts last year.

“That said, it does look like there will be a high level of unskilled workers permanently on the dole queues even when the Irish economy returns to positive growth,” he said.