Latest QHNS figures from CSO show 30,400 back to work in Dublin
“The latest QHNS figures released by the CSO show that the national unemployment rate has dropped to 8.9%, and in the Dublin region as a whole, there has been a 36.8% drop in the number of people who are unemployed”, says Fine Gael TD for Dublin Fingal, Alan Farrell.
“Since the Action Plan for Jobs was launched by this Government in 2012, over 135,000 extra jobs have been added to the economy. In fact, the number of people who have are long-term unemployed has declined from 204,300 nationally in February 2012, to 109,800 today. This is an overall decrease of 46%, and given that the number of people emigrating is also falling, this is positive news for communities throughout the North County, and across the country.
“When examining the live register figures from the local social welfare offices in Dublin Fingal, it is evident that the national trend in falling unemployment rates is being mirrored in the North County. In Swords and its surrounding areas, including Malahide and Donabate, the number of people on the live register has fallen by 39.3% since its peak in July 2012. In the same time period, the figures from the Balbriggan office, which also serves Skerries, Rush, Lusk and the communities nearby, the amount of people on the live register has decreased by 31.4%
“Furthermore, youth unemployment in the North County has declined significantly in the same time period. The number of people under the age of 25 on the live register in the Swords social welfare office has fallen by 54% between June 2012 and October of this year, while in the Balbriggan office, it has dropped by 50.9%.
“It is time that opposition parties accept that the economic recovery is underway. However, much remains to be done to ensure that everyone feels its benefits.
“Strengthening our economic recovery is a top priority for Fine Gael and we intend to do this by creating more jobs and reducing taxes for those who are at work.
“Less tax on work encourages job growth, creates more revenue for the Exchequer, and results in more money to invest in services to benefit every person in our local community.
“These figures, from the CSO, confirm that our economic recovery is deepening and that real progress is being made. I am sure that we will see further sustainable growth across Dublin Fingal.”