EU: Irish employment prospects badly affected by crisis

The employment situation in Ireland has been particularly badly affected by the current economic crisis, a new EU survey published today reveals.

Ireland ranks among the highest in the European Union for experiencing job losses, and two-thirds of Irish people believe the worst of the crisis is yet to come.

Though many respondents expressed concern that their partner or spouse (EU 38%, Ireland 41%) or their children (EU 47%, Ireland 52%) would lose their job, this figure was actually lower than those afraid of losing their own job (EU 32%, Ireland 33%).

In Ireland, 16% of respondents to the survey say they have personally lost their job as a result of the crisis. The crisis has resulted in job losses for a family member or friend of 49% of respondents. This compares to an EU average of 9% and 36% respectively. Worse-affected countries are Latvia, Lithuania and Spain where the economic crisis has been particularly severe.

Irish people are also more likely than their European counterparts to feel that we have not yet reached the peak of the crisis. Some 66% of Irish people fear the worst is yet to come compared to the EU average of 61%. People in Sweden, Denmark, Spain and Italy were the most optimistic about emerging from the recession.

Knowledge of the European Social Fund (ESF), the EU's main support to those who may lose their jobs as a result of the crisis remains low in Ireland, with only 38% being aware of this fund which makes up 10% of the EU budget and whose principal aim is to combat unemployment and foster economic and social cohesion.

"I am not surprised by the outcome of this survey. Understandably Europeans are concerned about the impact of the crisis on their jobs and families," said Vladimír Spidla, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.

"That's why action has been taken at a European level since the very beginning of the crisis to limit its impact on jobs," Spidla added.

"We have recently introduced microcredits for people who want to start their own business, proposed 100% funding of ESF for the next two years to allow for continuous training of workers, and urged Member States to make 5 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 lose theirs."

Commissioner Spidla, while visiting Ireland recently, met workers in Dell in Limerick where an application for retraining aid for those laid off has been made to the European Globalisation Fund.