CSO Statistician Edel Flannery speaks about the figures
The number of people unemployed has fallen for the tenth consecutive quarter, according to CSO figures published today.
Graph courtesy of the Central Statistics Office
The long term unemployment rate was down from 5.8% to 4.7% over the year, according to the results.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell from 9.2% to 9/1% over the fourth quarter of 2015, while the seasonally adjusted number of persons unemployed fell by 1.700.
Graph courtesy of the Central Statistics Office
There was an increase in total employment of 44,100 in the year to Q4 2015. This was represented by an increase in full time employment of 38,900 (+2.6%) and an increase in part time employment of 5,200 (+1.2%). On a seasonally adjusted basis, employment increased by 4,700 (0.2%) over the previous quarter. This follows increases in seasonally adjusted employment in the previous four quarters.
Jobs Minister Richard Bruton welcomed the figures:
I am delighted to see that last year was another strong year for employment growth in Ireland. What is most welcome is the wide range of sectors showing growth and this growth is underpinned by a strong performance by our expert oriented companies. It is also encouraging that there is strong growth in our labour force which suggests that more people are recognising the new opportunities that a growing economy offers.
READ: 2015 another strong year for jobs with 44,000 people back to work - Richard Bruton
Business & Employment Minister Ged Nash welcomed the figures, which show the lowest unemployment figures in seven years. Noting that "142,300 people have gone back to work since the height of the unemployment crisis", he said:
This is very welcome, particularly for those 142,300 people whose lives have been turned around, for their families and the communities in which they live and spend the money they are now earning. I’m also heartened to see that the long-term unemployment rate is continuing to fall, down from 5.8% last year to 4.7%. While this level is still too high, it shows that the plans we have are working.
Almost 90% of the jobs that were created last year are full-time jobs and we are seeing the level of underemployment continuing to fall.
READ: Minister Nash welcomes lowest unemployment figures in seven years