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Jobs crisis in the Midlands

by Adrian Cusack  Updated: Wednesday, 14th December, 2011 6:00pm

Region has country's highest level of unemployment

The Midlands has the highest unemployment rate in the country with one in five of the region's adults out of work, according to grim statistics released this week.

Nationally, the number of people in employment fell by 1.1% during the third quarter of this year, but in the counties of Westmeath, Offaly, Longford and Laois the increase in job losses was sharper still.

The unemployment rate in these four counties rose from 16.8% to 19%, meaning the Midlands has now overtaken the South-East as the region with the highest level of joblessness.

During the quarter, there were on average 23,100 unemployed in the Midlands, from a total available workforce of 121,900. The employment data was contained in the Quarterly National Household Survey compiled by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and published on Monday.

In the West region, which consists of Galway, Mayo and Roscommon, the unemployment rate declined between July and September, falling from 16.6% to 15.8%.

The Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU) said job creation initiatives in last week's budget were not significant enough to make a real dent in the unemployment rate.

"Given the unemployment crisis facing this country, it is beyond belief that no large scale measures have been introduced to create jobs and give meaningful opportunities to unemployed people," said INOU Coordinator John Stewart.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan said "the primary purpose" of last week's Budget was to assist in the creation of jobs. He outlined incentives designed to support industry and boost inward investment into the country.

However, the INOU said it was "not convinced the measures announced last week will have the necessary positive impact on job creation that is so urgently required to get unemployed people back to work and create real job opportunities for young people leaving school and college."

Meanwhile the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) said "a major new jobs plan" was needed from the Government in order to combat rising unemployment.