Number signing on drops 10 per cent in a year

The number of people signing on the Live Register declined by 2,100 or 0.6 per cent to 343,1000 last month, according to new figures published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

In unadjusted terms there were 363,628 people signing on the Live Register, which includes casual and part-time workers in July, down 10.1 per cent versus the same period a year ago.

The number of male claimants declined by 31,031 or 12.9 per cent to 210,286 in the year to July while female claimants were down 9,856 or 6 per cent to 153,342.

There were 165,422 long-term claimants on the Live Register at the end of July, down 23,248 or 12.3 per cent versus the same month a year earlier. The number of long-terms claimants was down 19,780 or 15.8 per cent with the number of long term women claimants down 3,468 or 5.5 per cent.

According to the latest figures, there were 68,799 casual and part-time workers on the Live Register in July, which represents 18.9 per cent of the total. This compares with 18.7 per ent one year earlier when there were 75,730 casual and part-time workers signing on.

CSO began publishing a new series of monthly unemployment estimates in June, which put the State’s jobless rate at 9.7 per cent for last month with youth unemployment rising slightly to 20.2 per cent.

The estimates replace the Standardised Unemployment Rate (SUR) as the definitive measure of monthly unemployment, which used to be published alongside the Live Register numbers.

The Live Register figures show the number of people aged 25 and over signing on fell by 29,121 or 8 per cent in the year to July with the number of people aged under 25, down 11,766 or 19 per cent. Annual decreases in persons aged under 25 have occurred in all months since July 2010, CSO said.

There were 39,474 new registrants on the Live Register last month, consisting of 17,182 Jobseeker’s Benefit claims, 20,089 Jobseeker’s Allowance claims and 2,203 ‘Other Registrants’. Males accounted for 43.8 per cent and females 56.2 per cent of all new registrants.

Lobby group Isme said the latest figures were disappointing and said moves to end long-term and youth unemployment must be made a priority.

Isme chief executive Mark Fielding said the slowdown in job creation was due to increased business costs and wage pressures.

“Government has expected business to continue creating employment despite the serious obstacles being placed in their way. The impending minimum wage increase, in particular, is stopping SMEs from expanding their workforce. Jobs will not be created while SMEs are expecting cost increases, through minimum wage, sick pay, paternity and parental leave,” he said.