THE LATEST FIGURES from the Central Statistics Office show an annual increase in employment of 33,800 (or 1.8 per cent) in the 12 months up to the end of June.
Seasonally adjusted figures for the second quarter of the year alone show an increase of 9,600 over the three month period. There was an increase of 9,000 in the first quarter of 2013.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased only marginally over the quarter – from 13.8 per cent to 13.7 per cent.
Unemployment decreased by 22,200 (or 6.9 per cent) in the year to the end of June, bringing the total numbers unemployed to 300,700. The long-term unemployment rate decreased from 9.2 per cent to 8.1 per cent over the 12 month period.
Tánaiste and Labour leader Eamon Gilmore has welcomed the figures, saying they show that “real progress” is being made in terms of economic recovery.
He said it was a sign of the positive impact Labour was having in Government, and that “progress in creating jobs has been consistent and steady”.
The total number in the labour force in the second quarter of the year was 2,170,700 – an increase of 11,500 over 12 months.
A separate set of CSO stats released today, covering emigration, show that 243 people are leaving Ireland every day, with a person departing every six minutes.
Covering the 12-month period up until the end of April 2013, they show that a total of 89,000 people left the country.
Immigration, which covers people returning to the state as well as new entrants, numbered 55,900, giving a net migration figure of -33,100.
Additional reporting, Paul Hosford.
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