The seasonally adjusted rate of unemployment in Ireland remained unchanged between the first and second quarters of the year at 14.8 per cent, figures released today by the Central Statistics Office today show.
Employment fell by 1.8 per cent or 33,400 people in the year to the second quarter of 2012, bringing total employment to 1,787,900.
A total of 308,500 people were out of work between April and June, according to the Quarterly National Household Survey. This marks an increase of 1.3 per cent or 4,000 people since the same time last year.
On a seasonally adjusted basis, employment fell by 0.8 per cent or 13,700 people in the quarter.
The long-term unemployment rate increased from 7.7 per cent to 8.8 per cent since the same time last year, now accounting for 59.9 per cent of total unemployment. This compares with 53.9 per cent a year earlier and 43.3 per cent in the second quarter of 2010.
The CSO figures also reveal that the labour market is shrinking, driven by emigration from Ireland. The total number of people available to work in the second quarter of 2012 was 2,096,400, a decrease of 29,500 or 1.4 per cent on the same time last year.
The decline in the labour force is “almost exclusively concentrated” in the 20-24 and 25-34 age groups, the CSO survey said.
Employment fell in ten of the 14 economic sectors surveyed by the CSO over the year. Jobs in administrative and support services were down by 5,800 or 8.8 per cent, while the financial, insurance and real estate industries recorded 7,300 or 7 per cent fewer jobs.
Employment in construction fell by 6.5 per cent or 6,900 people.
The largest increase was recorded in the area of accommodation and food service, where employment increased by 5.9 per cent or 6,300 people.
Responding to the survey results, chief executive of the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association Mark Fielding called on the government to “rethink its non-performing jobs strategy”.
“Small businesses, the main employment creators, will not create new jobs while they continue to suffer increasing state enforced costs, lack of bank credit and competition from both the black economy and the social welfare system,” he said.
“It is high time that an effective employment policy was introduced that goes beyond the mere introduction of FAS training places, and targets instead the core issues preventing employment creation.”
Fianna Fáil spokesperson on jobs Dara Calleary said the latest figures is evidence that the government is “failing spectacularly” on its promise to tackle unemployment.
“Over the past 18 months ministers have trotted out the line that job creation is their top priority,” he said.
“Jobs initiatives have been launched and re-launched with great fanfare, lofty targets have been set, but none of it has made the slightest dent in the spiralling unemployment rate in this country.”
