National unemployment rate at 8.9% and unemployment down 37.5% in the South West – Buttimer

“The latest QHNS figures, released by the CSO, show that the national unemployment rate has dropped to 8.9% and here in the South West there has been a 37.5% drop in the number of people who are unemployed”, says Fine Gael TD for Cork South Central, Jerry Buttimer.

“Jobs have grown in all 8 regions since the Action Plan for Jobs was launched by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton in 2012. In total 135,800 extra jobs have been added to the economy since 2012 and most encouragingly, growth is strongest in regional areas.

“It is time that opposition parties, intent on running down rural Ireland, accept that the recovery is underway. While more needs to be done to ensure that everyone feels its benefit, there can be no doubt that real progress has been made.

“Keeping the recovery going is Fine Gael’s top priority and we want to do this by creating jobs and reducing taxes for those who are at work. Less tax on work encourages jobs growth, creates more revenue for the exchequer and results in more money to invest in services.
“These figures confirm that the recovery is underway and with specific plans in place to drive job creation in regional areas, I am confident that we will see further sustainable growth in Cork and the South West.”