The Live Register figures for August, which were published today (Wednesday, 4th September), show a seasonally adjusted monthly fall of 3,400 people signing on but also indicates increased difficulties for women seeking employment, according to SIPTU Economist, Marie Sherlock. Since June of this year, there has been a significant decrease in the numbers on the Live Register with nearly 10,000 less people signing on over the three months to August. Marie Sherlock said: “There is a consistent decline but it is not clear whether the bulk of those leaving the Live Register are emigrating or are going into training or employment. Despite net employment rising for four consecutive quarters, last week’s CSO figures show that the numbers emigrating are continuing to grow not fall, and hit 89,000 over the 12 months to April 2013 – the highest outflow since the crisis began in 2008. "Today’s figures also point to another worrying trend. Throughout 2012 and the first half of 2013, we have seen that, on average, two thirds of the people leaving the Live Register originally worked in the male dominated craft, plant and machinery sectors. Males exiting the Live Register account for the bulk of the drop off in the total numbers signing on, some 85% of the fall off since June 2013. However, the number of females actually increased in June and has since fallen by just 1,500. While the number of males on the Live Register was almost double the number of females as late as the start of 2011, this gap has since narrowed. She added: “We will be looking to the Budget 2014, which will be announced next month, to see if additional measures can be put in place to ensure that more people can exit the Live Register and go into meaningful training, education or work.”
SIPTU expresses concern about emigration and numbers of unemployed women
