Impact of emigration unclear in latest Live Register figures
The latest Live Register figures indicate a continued decline in the numbers signing on but it is not clear what the main factor is driving this trend, according to SIPTU Economist, Marie Sherlock.
Live Register figures published on Thursday (6th June), show that, seasonally adjusted, 426,100 people signed on last month. This represented a decrease of 700 month on month, and 11,000 year on year.
Marie Sherlock said, “There is now strong evidence of stabilisation in the headline employment and unemployment figures. However beneath these, we have yet to fully establish the true extent of emigration from this country and the degree to which new jobs are being taken up by those exiting the Live Register. A striking feature of the latest figures is the large slowdown in the pace of young persons exiting the Live Register. Just under a third (32.2%) of those exiting the Live Register over the past six months were under the age of 25, whereas young persons accounted for 70% of the fall off in the six months to November 2012.
She added: “A range of possible factors could account for this in terms of older workers taking up those jobs that are being created, older workers emigrating now in greater numbers or older persons taking up the increasing number of labour market activation places.
“The large exodus of craft workers from the Live Register accounted for almost 86% of the fall in the non-seasonally adjusted numbers, but it is not clear if these workers went back into employment here or emigrated abroad.”
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