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Niall Carson

Some iffy job numbers show that everything's not quite rosy right now

The unemployment rate has stopped falling.

FOR THE FIRST time in over two years, the number of people unemployed in the State increased on a month-by-month basis.

The CSO records that there were 206,500 people unemployed in August on a seasonally adjusted basis, that’s 400 more than the previous month.

Although the rise is too small to effect the overall rate at 9.5%, it’s the first time numbers have actually increased since the first quarter of 2013.

The 9.5% figure has been static over the last three months. That’s a full quarter with no reduction in the rate of unemployment.

On a yearly basis the figures are still going in the right direction, with 32,200 fewer people unemployed this time last year. In August 2014 the unemployment rate sat at 10.4%.

Drilling down into the figures it can been seen that the rise in unemployment came almost completely from amongst women, with the number of unemployed men remaining the same.

Reacting to the figures, the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association says that the government needs to stop thinking about election promises and deal with the realities of job creation.

“If the priority of this government is job creation, then it must assist rather than hinder those of us who can create jobs,” says ISME’s Mark Fielding.

“Planning and policies must take precedence over platitudes and promises from ministers jostling for political gain. The coalition will be judged on jobs created by SMEs, it is high time they realised that and did more to help.”

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Sinn Féin has noted that the employment rate has remained stagnant at 9.5% with jobs spokesperson Peadar Tóibín describing today’s figures as “worrying”.

“The harsh cuts to lone parent supports last month has re-categorised citizens and no doubt forced many out of part-time work,” he said.

Tóibín also made reference to youth employment which shows nearly 21% of 15-24 year-olds are unemployed:

“Over four and a half years after the government came to power, outward emigration continues to blight this state with the CSO estimating the net emigration of 23,200 Irish nationals in the last year alone. 80,000 people continue on action schemes, many not being paid the market rate for their work.”

Read: The latest job numbers are pretty good news for these two >

Read: There is some bad news in the latest jobless figures >

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46 Comments
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    Mute littleone
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    Sep 1st 2015, 5:05 PM

    I thought last week jobs were booming. A 1000 a week. Did I miss something.

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    Mute littleone
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    Sep 1st 2015, 5:11 PM

    This week it’s this. Some iffy job numbers show that everything’s not quite rosy right now.
    And last week it was this The latest job numbers are pretty good news for these two

    Employment is now increasing at a rate of over 1,000 jobs per week.http://www.thejournal.ie/employment-figures-2292831-Aug2015/

    233
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    Mute Barry Flanagan
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    Sep 1st 2015, 5:11 PM

    Nope you didn’t miss anything – 1,000 a week is the average for the last 12 months.

    1,963,600 is the current number in employment, up from 1,906,500 a year ago.

    That’s an increase of 57,100 in a year, or just over 1,000 a week.

    Source – http://www.tradingeconomics.com/ireland/employed-persons

    71
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    Mute Peadar Ó Gréacháin
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    Sep 1st 2015, 6:06 PM

    Get off the stage Barry, your just echoing the bare faced lies of this government.

    209
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    Mute Barry Flanagan
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    Sep 1st 2015, 8:04 PM

    @ Peader

    It actually sickens me how happy some people get when bad news on the jobs front comes through, Peader. Not saying you, but there are more than a few “patriots” who are delighted with bad news for Ireland.

    Everything depends on jobs. Literally everything. More in employment means fewer claiming benefits, means more taxes means more money for education, health, looking after the most vulnerable.

    50,000 jobs added in a year is great news for the country – regardless of whether you think the government is doing a good job or not.

    Maybe with a different government we’d have added more, maybe not. But the trolls on here who celebrate failure are sickening.

    91
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    Mute willr
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    Sep 2nd 2015, 12:30 AM

    Over 50000 jobs are good, I would agree, but with one or 2 issue that needs to be examined. Are these decent paying full time jobs? Do they all offer a living wage? …minimum wage jobs don’t meet current cost of living in Ireland’s “living wage” criteria…. I don’t want to insult here, but I know people working 45 to 50 hours a week and they are just barely surviving and they don’t have kids or mortgages or massive debts or anything like that

    38
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    Mute The whistler
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    Sep 1st 2015, 4:59 PM

    Hold on, I though things were rosy for job figures? All looking good etc

    226
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    Mute Stephen Cullen
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    Sep 1st 2015, 5:13 PM

    Drill down into the figures and you’ll see that there’s alot of massaging, moving the unemployed from one form of state income to another…

    273
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    Mute Ann Reddin
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    Sep 2nd 2015, 4:49 PM

    Not to mention that 80,000 of those classed as being in employment are on scam bridge schemes.

    8
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    Mute Genius
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    Sep 1st 2015, 5:03 PM

    Jaze Rónán Don’t let Hugh see this story.

    189
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    Mute Peadar Ó Gréacháin
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    Sep 1st 2015, 6:29 PM

    Genius…..Hugh could be still on sick leave, after Saturdays turnout in Dublin.

    96
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    Mute paul farrell
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    Sep 1st 2015, 5:13 PM

    Pity enda and co are not unemployed…monkeys would do a better job than them clowns!!!!!

    186
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    Mute Adrian
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    Sep 1st 2015, 5:23 PM

    The truth is coming out now. Bruton pulling figures out of his backside last few months, too good to be true. I’d say the gov were putting their positive spin on it last week when they knew the more realistic negative numbers were coming out this week.

    156
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    Mute Rory J Leonard
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    Sep 1st 2015, 5:34 PM

    €90 bn sitting on deposit in Ireland’s banks, earning a minuscule annual return for depositors…

    Those banks now in the marketplace (we’re told) ready willing and able to advance funds for fully asset-backed deals…

    Massive housing shortages within a 30 + mile arc out of Dublin…

    Residential property market rents in Greater Dublin area rising by 15% pa…

    000′s of construction tradesmen, labourers and professional service providers out of work throughout the country…

    What’s required…..in the form of a catalyst to square this broken circle?

    Oh yes, just figured it out!

    Removal of an incompetent,uncaring Government…one scared sh*tless of upsetting Auntie Angela!

    130
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    Mute Adam Murphy
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    Sep 1st 2015, 4:58 PM

    Great job starting the Y axis on 9… That isn’t a misleading representation at all….

    126
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    Mute vv7k7Z3c
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    Sep 1st 2015, 5:06 PM

    No, it’s not misleading once the values of the axes are clearly stated. They obviously are because you noticed it without a problem.

    112
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    Mute little jim
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    Sep 1st 2015, 5:09 PM

    Can’t make it out, is that 11 people unemployed in August?

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    Mute david garland
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    Sep 1st 2015, 5:11 PM

    11%

    60
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    Mute Adam Murphy
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    Sep 1st 2015, 5:23 PM

    Of course it’s misleading, by truncating the Y axis, you’re exaggerating the data.

    79
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    Mute Al Fonso
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    Sep 1st 2015, 7:00 PM

    It is misleading it is the textbook example of how to mislead with this type of graph.

    Yes it is patronising to assume people won’t read or understand the numbers but manipulation works that way.

    42
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    Mute OneTrueVoice
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    Sep 1st 2015, 10:26 PM

    I’d like to see empty white space all the way down to zero as I’m not used to looking a graphs and need to start at zero and trace my finger upwards to make head of tail of it.

    8
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    Mute Willie Holmes
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    Sep 1st 2015, 5:46 PM

    is this story for the birds ? I am so angry If you count all unemployed people plus the 300000 who had to leave to find work we would have one of the worst unemployment in the EU . Six of my close family have gone since 2012. How can the Journal .ie print this drivel spouted by a defunct government. People don’t forget their loved one , only this crowd of bank supporting puppets can disregard all our far away family members

    118
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    Mute Gavan Duffy
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    Sep 1st 2015, 6:14 PM

    The true figure is never reported, I know of one location that has four ‘security guards’ staring at a single screen every day, all of them on CE schemes, not to mention the gardening and care taking staff also on CE schemes and being paid twenty odd euro on top of jobseekers for a two and a half day week.

    104
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    Mute P O Leary.
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    Sep 1st 2015, 6:39 PM

    I know of one football pitch that has 8 lads on a CE scheme. I know it sounds unbelievable but it’s true. they sit around most days and have Feck all to do. I’m sure that is replicated all across the country. there must be thousands of people on such schemes across the country. not counted as unemployed but still get paid by the department of social welfare.

    95
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    Mute james r
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    Sep 1st 2015, 5:46 PM

    More looming election lies ..

    75
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    Mute William Mcgee
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    Sep 1st 2015, 6:13 PM

    Kennys Ireland built on lies .

    72
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    Mute conchubharóchiarraí
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    Sep 1st 2015, 6:04 PM

    To quote the great man “You can use statistics to prove anything Kent. Forfty percent of people know that.”

    68
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    Mute Rashers Tierney
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    Sep 1st 2015, 6:37 PM

    Oh dear, shome mishtake shurely? What a big change from last week when employment was rampant!

    65
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    Mute Willy
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    Sep 1st 2015, 6:08 PM

    So are FG/LAB as suspected telling Porkies.. I know what I believe..

    63
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    Mute Ross Hanlon
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    Sep 1st 2015, 7:07 PM

    I truly believe those figures. Both my wife and myself have been trying for a job for her for two years, we’ve been to numerous interviews, sent tonnes of c.v’s, called in personally to various companies and still nothing. She has a masters and still can’t get anything. Thought I’d try here since we’ve tried all other routes. It’s not a reflection on her, it just seems there’s always someone out there that’s more suited (I know, because my company is hiring). So if anyone is looking for a reliable, office experienced, employee, please please come back to us.

    49
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Sep 1st 2015, 6:42 PM

    Just a while ago they said it was the best time ever for jobs being created and that made most of the news, electioneering again?
    You hear thunder you know it will rain, you see the unemployment queues you know people are not working no matter what the government says…

    47
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    Mute Tomás O'Loughlin
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    Sep 1st 2015, 5:46 PM

    Pretty obvious to me. People just graduated + people returning home from abroad = an increase in numbers signing on.

    If it becomes a trend over the coming months, then we’ve a problem but as a number in singularity this is meaningless.

    22
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    Mute Baz
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    Sep 1st 2015, 5:21 PM

    “I knew when I saw this story it had to be Ronan” is something you won’t hear from the followers of this government.

    I have full confidence in this government that they have the measures in place to see the country continue to be at the forefront of the economic recovery accross Europe.

    14
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Sep 1st 2015, 6:43 PM

    B…S….. Baz.
    See by November what state the economy is in if not by the end of September, ok.

    52
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    Mute Diarmuid Doran
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    Sep 1st 2015, 8:27 PM

    Delighted for you chum.We will all sleep better knowing that you have full confidence in the government.In fact Enda is probably gone for a quick tug knowing he has your support.

    33
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    Mute willr
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    Sep 2nd 2015, 12:44 AM

    We were all wondering who that 1 person with full confidence in this government was Baz. How’s life in cloud cuckoo land? Hopeless sad case you are indeed. I ain’t SF before you go there, I be voting independent. But this government….they are fumbling blindly from one disaster to another, making it up as they go along. They couldn’t organise a pissup in a brewery on their best day

    10
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    Mute willr
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    Sep 2nd 2015, 1:15 AM

    Confidence in this government… stealing vital resources and special needs teachers/ so each therapists, etc (list could go on and on) from severely disabled children, depriving them of a decent start in life, denying them the services they need for promoting and encouraging these children to reach their full potential. All the while allowing multinationals to dodge hundreds of millions in tax, having billionaire tax exiles get lucrative government contracts….Oh sweet Jesus Baz, your so far gone your a lost cause. Confidence in this government??? This government that blatantly and openly abandons a generation of disabled children into hopelessness and deprivation, strips them of the best possible future, all so the multibillion multinationals don’t pay their legally required taxes, and tax exile corrupt businessmen billionaires get lucrative government contracts and their debts picked up by the ordinary taxpayer in Ireland. There is a special place in he’ll for this government….the people of ireland are just playthings to them. We are not humans anymore to them. The only value they have on any of us is how much cash they can produce from each individual one of us. More fool you Baz if you don’t see the reality of what they have become and the unforgivable evils the have subjected upon the majority of the Irish people to protect a few thousand untouchable bondholders. I pity you if you hold these people up as shining examples of leadership….they are in reality heartless monsters who attack the elderly, disabled, children, weakest groups in society, the seriously ill, the people suffering mental health issues, the homeless. What brainwashing must have been done to you by someone to hold them in such high regard Baz. It’s terrible.

    12
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    Mute Kevin Mullen
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    Sep 2nd 2015, 8:29 AM

    only yesterday minster howler slobbering about 1300 hundred jobs a month.f##king liar

    10
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    Mute Khaydeez
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    Sep 1st 2015, 5:25 PM

    They toookkkk errrrrr jobbbbsss!!!

    7
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