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John Giles/PA Archive

EU report says Irish homes hit second-hardest by economic slump

Disposable incomes in Irish households fell by more than in every other EU country between 2009 and 2011 – except for Greece.

HOUSEHOLD DISPOSABLE INCOMES fell in Ireland by more than almost every other European country during the ‘second phase’ of the global economic crisis, a new EU-wide survey has shown.

The European Commission’s quarterly Employment and Social Situation review shows that the income of the average Irish household fell by 9 per cent between 2009 and 2011 – with only Greek households faring worse, at 15.7 per cent.

Lithuania, Spain and Cyprus also saw their incomes fall by over 5 per cent in that two-year period – though only Greece, Ireland and Lithuania also saw disposable income fall between 2007 and 2009 in the ‘first phase’ of the crisis.

The review shows that the financial crisis has not impacted on households in all countries, however: in five countries – Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Poland and Slovakia – income rose in both periods. Three of those five counties have been outside the euro area for the duration of the crisis.

The report also says Ireland had one of the highest increases in its youth unemployment rate in the second quarter of 2012, rising by 1.2 per cent to 30.7 per cent – the sixth-highest overall unemployment rate among those under 25.

The proportion of Ireland’s labour force who have been out of work for over a year (9.6 per cent) is the third-highest in the EU, behind Greece (12.3 per cent) and Spain (10.3 per cent).

Curiously, while the proportion of Irish people in ‘underemployed part-time work’ (6.3 per cent) is the highest in the union, the number of hours worked per week by the average full-time Irish worker is among the lowest of the 27 member states.

The average Irish working week is 39.4 hours, tied with Italy. Only Finland, at 39.2 hours, works less. By comparison, Greece and Austria have the longest working weeks at 42.2 hours each.

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7 Comments
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    Mute Creamy Hamstrings
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    Oct 1st 2012, 8:52 AM

    So you’re saying we’re being robbed?!

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    Mute rodrigo detriano
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    Oct 1st 2012, 9:15 AM

    Until we get up of our backsides and do something, this will only get worse. Enda thinks that because we don’t protest and complain that the Irish people are right behind him. I mean,look at how much money we’re handing over to AIB bond holders today, for exampl!. It’s scandalous.

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    Mute McNamees On TheGreen
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    Oct 1st 2012, 9:28 AM

    Boycott and burn !

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    Mute lisa duignan
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    Oct 1st 2012, 11:58 AM

    80,000 ‘quality Irish’ people reported to have emigrated last year. And the rest of the Irish? Mostly silent. The saddest fact of all.

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    Mute Colm Monaghan
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    Oct 1st 2012, 1:48 PM

    So disposable income has decreased for Irish households..
    1 billion being paid out to bond holders today..
    Micheal Noonan to announce value based property tax in the budget!!!
    What Planet is the government living on??

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    Mute Wacker Macker
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    Oct 2nd 2012, 6:01 AM

    Do you actually think Micko and Inda really care about Joe Citizen. Not one bit and with good ‘ol Eamo in tow now sure they can do what they like to us. So long as the Brussle Sprouts keep patting Inda on the head he will do their dirty work by robbing the Irish people. I have a feeling he will be scraping the barrel shortly with the amount of people that have emigrated the only ones left working are the civil and public service and they are not going to produce anything. I hope Australia has room for a couple of hundred thousand more because this place will be a wilderness by 2018

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    Mute kingstown
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    Oct 1st 2012, 1:01 PM

    Cold comfort.

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