6% increase in number of people at work in the South East – Coffey

Fine Gael TD for Waterford and Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Housing, Paudie Coffey, has today (Tuesday), welcomed the publication of the CSO’s Quarterly National Household Survey which points to an increase in employment, a decrease in emigration and improvements in the construction sector in Waterford.

“ Today’s figures show a continued improvement in the jobs market, with 31,600 jobs created in the last 12 months and over 70,000 since the launch of the Action Plan for Jobs in 2012. This means employment is at its highest level since 2009.

“It is extremely encouraging to see that the jobs market continues to grow at pace. In the south-east there has been an increase of 6% in the numbers at work since this time last year; this means that almost 11,000 more people are back at work, representing a third of all jobs created in the country during that period.

“In Waterford we are very much in need of further employment opportunities but I am pleased to see that we are moving in the right direction. Employment in the south east has reached its highest level in over 5 years; the unemployment rate has fallen considerably from 20.1% to 14.3%, though this level is still far too high.

“What is particularly encouraging is that these new jobs are full-time jobs, showing the sustainability of our jobs recovery . We are now seeing that the difficult decisions taken by this Government over the past few years and the sacrifices made by the Irish people have been worthwhile.

“Figures released today also show that outward migration in the year to April 2014 is estimated to have fallen to 21,400, a decrease of 11,700 on the previous year’s figure. The rate at which people are emigrating is finally slowing as people get jobs and stay at home.

“Construction figures included in today’s publication show that employment in the sector has increased by almost 2% since the first quarter of this year. The construction sector was crippled by the economic downturn so it is very positive to see some improvement in this area. In the coming months I expect that Construction 2020 will contribute to further growth in this area and provide more opportunities for our skilled workers.

“W hile the figures today are encouraging, we need to remain vigilant and continue laying the foundation for jobs growth through the Action Plan for Jobs. The national unemployment rate is now at 11.3%, down from a peak of 15.1%. This is a big improvement but we want to see more.

“ Jobs remain a top priority for the Government and I am committed to ensuring that people can see and feel the recovery in their everyday lives.”