Full time jobs account for rise in employment

ALL of the increase in employment last year was accounted for by a rise in full time jobs, according to the surprise results of the 1996 Labour Force Survey. The survey also shows that 60 per cent of the full time jobs created last year were taken by women.

However, the figures, published yesterday, also show there was no drop in long term unemployment last year despite the strong rate of job creation.

The headline survey results, already announced, show that the total number at work increased by 46,000 in the year to last April. On the basis of trends in earlier years, it had been assumed that much of the rise was accounted for by part time work. However the full figures show that the number of people working part time actually fell last year.

Part time job numbers had risen by 59,500 in the four years to April 1995. But the total fell last year by 1,500 to 151,400.

The real story behind these figures is that all of the substantial increase in the total number at work was accounted for by full time employment and that these increases have occurred across all industrial and service sectors," according to the Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Mr Bruton.

The Central Statistics Office publishes the figures broken down in several different ways. The figures compiled using International Labour Organisation procedures show that 60 per cent of the new full time jobs were filled by women.

The participation of women in the jobs market continues to rise and increased to 38.5 per cent last April from 36.4 per cent a year earlier.

There has already been considerable debate on the difference between unemployment as measured by the annual labour force survey and by the live register. The labour force figures show unemployment at 190,000 last April, 90,000 below the live register at that time.

Yesterday's breakdown of the figures shows that long term unemployment remained static last year. ,The number of people out of work for more than one year increased steadily to 128,000 in 1994, fell by 25,000 in 1995, but remained at over 102,000 in the year to last April.

Mr Bruton said initiatives to, tackle long term unemployment, introduced in last year's Budget, would not have had time to work before the survey was taken last April.

The Government is committed to pursuing consistent and targeted interventions aimed at reducing the incidence of long term unemployment," he said.