Varadkar welcomes further drop in unemployment which shows economy is still on track
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar has welcomed new figures from the CSO showing that the rate of unemployment continued to fall to 7.7% in October, a significant drop from its peak of 15% in 2011.
Minister Varadkar said:
“In the last 12 months alone the unemployment rate has fallen from 9.2% to below the milestone of 8%. And in the last month it fell further from 7.9% to 7.7%. Alongside positive Exchequer returns, it's proof positive that the economy in still on track, notwithstanding concerns about the impact of Brexit and other matters."
“Since coming to Government we have almost halved unemployment, and my objective for the next few years is to halve it again. We now have more than two million people at work, this year we will exceed our target of moving 20,000 people from long-term unemployment to work, and the Live Register has fallen below 300,000. All of these milestones were passed this year for the first time in eight years."
“But we must continue to make progress. I want to reduce unemployment even further. My target is to bring unemployment down to between 5% and 6% and long-term unemployment to 2.5% by 2020. I intend to move 100,000 people from welfare to work over the next five years. Budget 2017 continues the government’s focus on activation, to help people back into the workforce."
“We need to intensify efforts because the more progress you make, the harder it gets.”
This includes:
ENDS