Latest CSO figures show strongest jobs growth in the Border Region – O’Reilly

Fine Gael TD for Cavan/Monaghan, Joe O’Reilly has welcomed the latest official employment figures from the Central Statistics Office which show that the strongest increases in employment over the last quarter took place in the Border counties, as well as in the West and the South East.

“At the end of 2012, when the Action Plan for Jobs was launched by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton, the unemployment rate in the border counties stood at a staggering 17.7%, it has now dropped to 11.7%. Today’s figures show that out of the 27,700 people who entered the work force nationally since this time last year, almost 9,000 of those were in the border counties including Cavan and Monaghan.  

“I am extremely pleased to see that the economic recovery is finally starting to spread outside of the major cities and that areas like Cavan and Monaghan are beginning to benefit. It is also very encouraging that 94% of those getting jobs are securing full-time employment.

“There is no doubt that the unemployment rate is still too high but due to the hard work and sacrifice of the Irish people, things are moving steadily in the right direction. This Government is working to build a sustainable economy and the fact that job increases are particularly strong in the domestic economy areas such as construction and retail means we are driving a home-grown recovery.

“Today’s figures confirm again that the plan this Government has adopted is working, but there is more to do. By improving the tax system and creating jobs, we want to ensure that people across the country are better as a result of the improvement in the economy. Following changes announced in Budget 2015, a single worker on the average wage of €35,000 will get tax cuts of €400, a married couple with two kids earning €55,000 and €50,000 will be over €1,040 better off next year and a single person on the minimum wage will get a tax cut of €173.

“This Government is pursuing a policy of job creation and of making work pay. Our goal is to ensure that there are job opportunities in all regions of the country and that people who take up these positions are better off.”