Jobs target is subject to ‘high level of uncertainty’

The Government published its six-year economic strategy which seeks to a return to Celtic Tiger employment with the aid of ambitious economic growth levels — which the document itself admits are subject to a high level of uncertainty.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he hoped for a return to full employment by 2020, which could see the country’s current unemployment rate of 12.5% more than halved to below 6%.

“By 2020, we aim to replace all of the 330,000 jobs that were lost during the economic crisis between 2008 and 2011 with new jobs, and in doing so, more than halve the rate of unemployment,” Mr Kenny said.