Car Tourismo Banner
Home » Tag Archives: unemployment

Tag Archives: unemployment

Over 5,000 claiming unemployment supports but labour shortages persist

THERE are still 1,735 people receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment in Clare, with latest figures also showing that 3,783 people were signing on the live register in October. The number receiving the PUP fell by almost 400 between October 19 and November 2, while it is way down from its peak in 2020 of almost 15,000. On the live register side, the October figure increased by 73 on September. The majority of people signing on in Clare (1,929) were attached to the Ennis Social Welfare office. The figure for Kilrush was 657, for Ennistymon it was 643, and for Tulla it was 554. Of those signing on in Clare, 2,031 were male and 1,752 were female. Despite more than 5,500 people getting unemployment supports, there are also labour shortages in a number of sectors. Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council PJ Ryan, a businessman himself, said that workers are in short supply. “Definitely there’s a major problem for businesses trying to …

Read More »

Workers leaving Shannon company Avara

IT is understood that 17 workers are leaving Shannon company Avara today, as it winds down. While efforts to secure a buyer have been ongoing none has been secured and as it stands the last of the workers will leave the company in October. One of those leaving said it is very disappointing to see the company on the way out.”It’s a devastating day, it’s the second pharmaceutical in the Mid West region to go. It got an investment of €170 million less than ten years ago, to see it being wound down is devastating for the workforce here.” He feels that more should have been done to find a new owner.”We had hoped to find a buyer for the plant but it doesn’t seem to have happened. I would think if it was Cork or Dublin there would be politicians all over this. This is another kick to the Shannon region.” Owen Ryan

Read More »

New figures reveal threat to Clare tourism jobs

ALMOST 9,000 jobs in hospitality and tourism in Clare are at immediate risk, with the sector braced for what industry leaders are calling “an impending disaster”. While hotels and pubs serving food are set to re-open from next Monday, representative groups are concerned about the chances of salvaging the 2020 season. An industry briefing for Clare, prepared for the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF), reveals that 8,800 jobs are at risk in 2020. The figure represents close to 75% of all jobs in the industry in Clare, and the same percentage of the total revenue the sector generates for the county. “Up until recently, tourism and hospitality across Clare supported 12,000 jobs and generated €266 in revenues annual for the local economy,” the IHF briefing stated. “We are now facing a deepening crisis with 8,800 tourism jobs at risk across Clare and local tourism revenues estimated to drop by €200 million as businesses fight for survival,” Responding to the figures, North …

Read More »

Covid-19 Unemployment Payment issued to 283,000

LAST Friday payments were issued in respect of 283,000 people who were awarded payment of the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. These payments are in addition to the 201,000 people in receipt of standard jobseeker payments as of Friday 27 March (an increase of 19,000 on the figure at the end of February). A further 25,000 wage subsidy payments were made in respect of the Employer Refund Scheme* administered by the Revenue Commissioners on behalf of the Department. All payments issued on Friday will be in customers’ bank accounts or at their local post office from tomorrow, Tuesday.  The level of payments reflects the unprecedented demand for the Department’s income supports over the past two weeks. Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment In total (since launch on March 16) the Department received and processed 389,000 applications for the Covid-19 Unemployment Payment.  This is equivalent to a 19 month claim-load in two weeks. A significant number of duplicate applications – over 66,000 …

Read More »

Clare unemployment falls again

PEOPLE may be on tenterhooks over Brexit but there are indications that the local economy is still performing well, with unemployment falling again in February. There were 4,876 signing on the Live Register in February, down from 5,045 in January. Year on year, the number signing on is down by 939, or 16% of the February 2018 total. West Clare County Councillor Ian Lynch works in construction and he said there has been an improvement. “It’s more positive than it has been. In the construction sector, on a national scale, there has definitely been a pick-up but in the Mid-West Region, there is no major activity. What I’m finding is that the smaller contractors, who are doing houses and extensions and stuff, are actually gone a little bit quieter. But while there is no huge demand for work, they’re still tipping away; there aren’t long spells of three or four weeks out of work. “You’d find a lot of them …

Read More »

June unemployment rate falls

The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise and Innovation, Frances Fitzgerald has welcomed the monthly unemployment figures for June published by the Central Statistics Office, showing that the official unemployment rate has fallen from 6.4% in May to 6.3% in June and from 8.3% in June 2016. The statistics also show: On a seasonally adjusted basis 900 fewer people were unemployed in June compared to May 42,100 fewer people were unemployed in June compared with twelve months earlier Commenting on the figures the Tánaiste said, “Once again we are seeing the unemployment rate going in the right direction, with the unemployment rate at 6.3% and a decrease from 8.3% this time last year. It is heartening to see the unemployment rate continuing to decline and we are moving closer to full employment. As Minister for Enterprise and Innovation, I will continue with the Government policies that have proven successful in creating the right environment for continued job growth right across the …

Read More »

Regional imbalance in employment trends

REGIONAL variations in employment trends point to imbalanced economic growth that is not benefiting all parts of the country equally, it has been reaffirmed this week. Eamon Murphy, economic and social analyst, Social Justice Ireland, highlighted this as one of the key findings from the think-tank’s latest Employment Monitor, published today (Tuesday). “Jobs growth over the last couple of years has been impressive and very welcome, but when it is broken down by region, trends are very uneven. Employment first began to decline in Ireland in autumn 2007, and from then until the end of 2016, employment in the West and Border regions fell at a rate much faster than the national average, and more than five times faster than Dublin. “At the end of 2016, the South-East, Border, Midlands and West regions were suffering from the highest unemployment rates in Ireland; all had a rate notably higher than the national average. “As well as this, falling labour force numbers in …

Read More »

Drive to cut unemployment continues

Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar has pledged to strive towards a further reduction in unemployment in the year ahead. He was reacting to the latest figures showing unemployment in Ireland at its lowest rate since 2008. “In every month last year the unemployment level fell by more than 3,300 people. This is a really significant result for the many individuals and families who were blighted by the crash years, and shows that our policies to tackle unemployment are getting results. This Government intends to make even more progress in the year ahead,” said Minister Varadkar, who is one of the main contenders to take over from Enda Kenny as leader of Fine Gael. Unemployment is now at its lowest level since the second quarter of 2008, falling by 21.4% in the 12 months to the end of last year, a drop of 40,000 people to 147,400. Long-term unemployment also fell by 22%, a drop of 2,500 to 79,700. Significantly, the …

Read More »