Highest job losses in Kildare, Meath and Wicklow

THE COMMUTER counties of Kildare, Meath and Wicklow suffered the largest increases in job losses over the last year with an 81 per cent increase in the number of residents of these counties signing on the live register.

Last month 24,389 residents in these counties were claiming jobseekers’ benefits compared to just 13,430 in November 2007.

The figures are based on returns from 122 social welfare offices nationwide compiled by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

Social welfare offices in Dublin reported the lowest percentage increase in those signing on over the last 12 months with a rise of 58.7 per cent to 62,319 people.

In six towns the number of people signing on has doubled over the last year.

These include Ballybofey in Co Donegal, Westport in Co Mayo, Maynooth in Co Kildare and Kells in Co Meath. Cahir in south Tipperary and Newmarket in Co Cork have also seen 100 per cent increases in those unemployed.

Labour Party spokeswoman on social and family affairs Róisín Shortall said the data revealed exceptionally high job losses among residents of the commuter counties.

“These figures are shocking and require urgent intervention. Many of those living in the commuter belt where the increases are highest are people who have recently moved into new houses and are carrying heavy mortgages.”

Ms Shortall said many job losses were as a result of relatively small layoffs “10 jobs here and 20 there, in small and medium-sized companies”.

She said the Government needed to start treating rising unemployment as the “national emergency it is fast becoming”.

National unemployment increased to an estimated rate on an unadjusted basis of 7.8 per cent in November as 16,635 extra people signed on last month.

Almost one in five, or 49,876 of the 268,586 people on the live register last month, were foreign nationals.

Over the last year 79,227 Irish nationals and 27,637 foreign nationals have lost their jobs.

While the number of males losing their jobs has increased in all regions, the largest percentage month-on-month rise was in the mid-west. Some 15,624 men in the counties of Limerick, Clare and north Tipperary were signing on in November, up over 10 per cent.

Separate data released by the CSO yesterday showed the number of people working in construction has fallen by almost a fifth over the 12 months to October.

Employment in the sector was down 18.1 per cent in October. This compares with an 18.7 per cent decline recorded in September.

The number of jobs in construction has declined every month since April last year, according to the survey.