Emigration numbers grow by 45%

THE number of Irish people emigrating soared by 45% in a year with some 40,200 people leaving Irish shores in the year to April.

Figures show the majority emigrated to Britain and locations outside of the US and EU.

The deepening jobs crisis has taken the unemployment rate to 14.3%, with the lack of work opportunities compounded by the rise in long-term unemployment from 5.9% to 7.7% over the year.

It now accounts for more than half the total numbers out of work.

Paul Sweeney, economic adviser for umbrella trade union group Congress, branded the unemployment figures chilling.

“That is a chilling statistic and a chilling commentary on the failure of the austerity programme that was supposedly designed to save us. In fact it is directly responsible for thousands of job losses,” he said.

“These figures require an immediate, urgent and strong response fromthe Government.”

The Union of Students of Ireland told the Government that time was running out to tackle the soaring emigration levels.

“It is worrying that, as rates of emigration in Ireland continue to increase, the Government continues to sit idly by. It is astonishing that this critical issue remains largely off the Government’s radar,” it said.

While emigration among Irish people jumped from 27,700 to 40,200, the number ofnon-Irish people who left dropped for a second year in a row, and accounted for 20% of the overall 76,400 emigration figure.