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The numbers signing on fell in August, but the unemployment rate remained unchanged. Niall Carson/PA Wire

Live register down by 2,000 in August, but unemployment stays at 14.7pc

Ireland’s unemployment rate remains unchanged, while the number of under-25s on the register is down yet again.

THE NUMBER of people on the Live Register fell by 2,000 in August, new figures from the Central Statistics Office have shown.

Seasonally adjusted figures show that 434,400 people were signing on last month, a figure which was unchanged on the same time from last year.

The proportion of long-term claimants – those who have been on the register for 12 months or more – continues to grow, however, accounting for 44.2 per cent of the total. That figure stood at 40.8 per cent a year ago.

36,706 of those on the register now joined it within the last month, of which roughly five-in-nine were male. About two-thirds of the number which left the register in August are female, though male claimants still make up just under 63 per cent of the entire number signing on.

Despite the fall in August, the standardised rate of unemployment remains at 14.7 per cent.

The number of under 25s on the register has fallen by 9.5 per cent in the last year, with people of that age group now accounting for 17.6 per cent of all claimants.

Today’s figures mark the 26th month in succession in which the year-on-year figure of under 25s on the register has fallen.

When seasonal adjustments are removed, 456,256 people were on the register in August – down by just over 4,000 from July, a figure the CSO deems to be statistically insignificant.

The Live Register is not a measure of unemployment, as it also includes those who are entitled to partial benefits because they have only casual or part-time work. Last month the register included 87,154 casual or part-time workers, representing 19.1 per cent of the total.

Read: Spanish unemployment rises again to creep towards 25 per cent

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45 Comments
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    Mute Stray Mutt
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    Sep 5th 2012, 11:05 AM

    Is this good news or bad news?
    Probably bad as the 2000 emigrated in search of a better future abroad.

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    Mute Norman Hunter
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    Sep 5th 2012, 11:29 AM

    I know of 7people from my parish who’ve emigrated and it wasn’t a lifestyle choice.

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    Mute Joseph Colclough
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    Sep 5th 2012, 11:48 AM

    Another friend of mine gone this morning to Australia to join alot of my friends who are out there already. Brother is going to Canada in coming months. Unfortunately they can’t see a life here anymore, or ways to improve their careers. It’s the same all over the country, sons and daughters forced to emigrate to better their lives, better their careers.

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    Mute Damocles
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    Sep 5th 2012, 12:10 PM

    Why are you still here?

    I don’t mean that in a pejorative way, I mean, genuinely, if everyone you know is running for the door why are you still here?

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    Mute Norman Hunter
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    Sep 5th 2012, 12:14 PM

    Damocles who are you refering too?

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    Mute Tony Skillington
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    Sep 5th 2012, 12:15 PM

    A drop in the bucket Stray….all Enda’s waffle about getting Ireland back to work is just that…waffle. Unemployment is staying high until the brains in Leinster House cop on to the fact that domestic demand will pull unemployment down….and seeing as they are hell bent on taxing and butchering their way out of this sh*t storm….that ain’t happening anytime soon.

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    Mute Damocles
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    Sep 5th 2012, 12:17 PM

    Norman “Damocles, to whom are you refering?”

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    Mute Joseph Colclough
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    Sep 5th 2012, 12:18 PM

    Damocles the only reason I’m not gone is cause I have a job, and have a car to pay back for. Otherwise to be honest I would have bolted as well.

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    Mute Norman Hunter
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    Sep 5th 2012, 12:26 PM

    Damocles thanks for the grammer lesson not required but if you feel its important,well whatever floats your boat.
    I will answer you question, i’m one of the lucky ones i have a good job,family and a manageable mortgage my friends are not so lucky.

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    Mute Damocles
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    Sep 5th 2012, 12:30 PM

    Norman, I’m glad the grammar lesson was appreciated.

    To my mind, people who want to leave their country and work elsewhere should do, boom or bust, people who have the gumption to follow through on the desire often end up being a little more fully rounded. Not to suggest that people who don’t want to or simply can’t aren’t necessarily unrounded.

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    Mute Klaus Flouride
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    Sep 5th 2012, 1:14 PM

    Yeah 2000 emigrated and a heap turned 26. Well done government, you astute fiscal policy is working a treat. Enjoy your gratuitous salaries and sleep well in your mansions you filthy swine. Xxxx

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    Mute Little Jim
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    Sep 5th 2012, 2:50 PM

    Oh dear, Damocles. “People who want to leave”, want and need are very different things.
    I agree with the rest though, I spent over a decade away and I loved it, then again I had a want in me!
    Btw the correct local term is “who you talkin’ to?”

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    Mute Declan Cotter
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    Sep 5th 2012, 4:23 PM

    I know….this is such a awful place……………………….. we have people starving on the streets….. huge levels of crime……….. Oh wait no…We actually dont’!!!!
    Sick to the teeth of people saying how awful it is here…. Gove live in the UK or the US without a job and see what you will get!!!! This is a great country and anyone who thinks we were going to go from 15% unemployment to 7 or 8% in less than 2 years are off their rockers….

    16
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    Mute Norman Hunter
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    Sep 5th 2012, 4:31 PM

    Declan i think it was only you that has made nasty comments about this country.Maybe i’m wrong but i read your post or did you mean something else,are you disillusioned with the present government,can’t say i blame you.

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    Mute Vincent F
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    Sep 5th 2012, 11:08 AM

    Probably got to do with 2000 people emigrating in August! And not thanks to government back to work schemes.

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    Mute Simon Barnes
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    Sep 5th 2012, 1:34 PM

    Well that’s actually quite scary. If 2k people are not signing on any more and the unemployment rate stays the same, then in-effect the real hidden unemployment rate went up.
    .
    My missus does not even sign on any more. They refuse to give here any money as she is long term and recon I can support her. But they still want her to sign on so that they have her on record. I mean why bother signing on if your not getting any money, waste of her time to stand in a Q to be demoralised for nothing.

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    Mute Peter Rice
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    Sep 5th 2012, 2:13 PM
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    Mute Declan Cotter
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    Sep 5th 2012, 4:25 PM

    Simon, How long is your wife claiming benefit?

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    Mute M O Sé
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    Sep 5th 2012, 11:39 AM

    7000 pps numbers were issued in July to foreign nationals, including 373 pps numbers issued to brazillian nationals, 213 to indians. And you can be sure they arent all working in the “knowledge” economy. They will do the jobs the irish emigrants will not do lol. About 150 work [new] work permits a month are issued to the service sector alone.

    Under the neoliberal globalisation paradigm, the young are told to head off and we bring in cheap labour to fill the gaps and to hell with the future.

    http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Topics/PPSN/Pages/ppsn_all_month12.aspx

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    Mute Arjun Deepra
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    Sep 5th 2012, 11:40 AM

    Each adult on average by the time they reach 21, represents an investment by state and family of 250k euro’s.

    2000 people leaving would equal 500 million. While it is real bank of the envelope calculations, it shows the massive economic cost that emigration represents to this country.

    That dirt bags like Brian Lenihan snr were able to get away with saying in the 80′s “It’s a small country we all can’t live here”, even though we are by any standard a very under-populated country, shows that we are too willing to accept emigration rather than face up to the problems that cause it.

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    Mute Declan Noonan
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    Sep 5th 2012, 12:05 PM

    Arjun, it was lenihan who said that? I will always remember my brother saying to me – “your better off staying in the states, there’s not enough room for everyone”. It always bothered me that he said that. It seems that some people want Ireland for themselves.
    I would say that Ireland needs more people not less.

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    Mute Arjun Deepra
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    Sep 5th 2012, 12:12 PM

    He did indeed, about 87 I remember.

    A natural population figure for Ireland would be about 10mn people on the island. When you consider that Holland has 17mn in an area the size of Munster, and they are a significant agricultural nation, with lots of green open spaces when you are driving there. It is very very doable.

    Low population density, destroys economic sustainability in a region. It becomes self fulfilling.

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    Mute Declan Noonan
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    Sep 5th 2012, 12:28 PM

    Arjun, I agree with you.

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    Mute Deirdre Forde
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    Sep 5th 2012, 1:27 PM

    @Declan, that attitude bothers me too. Friends of mine at home who are job hunting tell me they come up against this attitude all the time… Like you’re naive to expect the state to provide you with a living. You should expect to have to go.

    And then you get people like me, who have emigrated, being told that we’re jumping ship and it’s a lifestyle choice. You can’t win.

    20
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    Mute Declan Noonan
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    Sep 5th 2012, 3:00 PM

    Deirdre I hear you but it doesn’t hurt that the sun shines more over here :)

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    Mute On the Dole
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    Sep 5th 2012, 11:16 AM

    Back to education,would account for a lot of those figures.

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    Mute Sinead Taaffe
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    Sep 5th 2012, 11:26 AM

    i dont know why but I thought back to education was being cut this year, could be wrong though

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    Mute tomnewnewman.org
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    Sep 5th 2012, 11:30 AM

    First three comment seeing the negative in this positive. ??????

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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    Sep 5th 2012, 11:34 AM

    It’s positive that possibly 2000 people had to emigrate? The fact that the numbers of under 25 year old’s is dropping would seem to suggest the majority are emigrating as they are the most mobile in the work force. No kids or house holding them back.

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    Mute Norman Hunter
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    Sep 5th 2012, 11:59 AM

    tom… not negative just a statement of fact,i know of 7people who left in recent weeks,don’t know the reason for the drop of 1993 but i do for 7.So take it whatever way you like.

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    Mute Tom Newell
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    Sep 5th 2012, 12:02 PM

    employment still high, politicians wages and expenses along with advisers and heads of semi-state bodies that get energy price increase keep on going up…….only in Ireland

    26
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    Mute Robbie Farrell
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    Sep 5th 2012, 1:36 PM

    I’d love to see the official figures from the Australian/Canadian governments on Irish under 25s receiving Working Visas each month. I imagine it would be very close to the same number of under 25s dropping off the live register. It’s pathetic the attempts from the Irish government to stem this mass emigration of the Irish youth. Brain Drain Part 2.

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    Mute gina61
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    Sep 5th 2012, 11:30 AM

    back to education does not kick in till first day of college which is middle Sept

    20
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    Mute Catherine lonergan
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    Sep 5th 2012, 1:20 PM

    That’s because that 2 thousand are probably after emigrating, due to the non existence of jobs here, the cuts they are proposing and just basically the whole shambles our government have turned this country into.

    http://www.change.org/petitions/supporting-the-irish-nation-step-down-from-government#share?utm_source=guides&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly_summary

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    Mute Katriona Wallace
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    Sep 5th 2012, 3:17 PM

    It’s much harder to get a job abroad once you are over 30yrs as visa requirements are more restrictive. On the jobs front, two weeks ago I was listening to Cork local radio and a lady from one of the employer groups say that production was targeted to increased by 42% she followed on by mentioning the skills shortage in this country. Unbelievable with 450k on the dole, a fair few will have 3rd level qualifications and work experience! But people have to realise this, as soon as you are unemployed all your previous work history goes out the window and employers don’t want to employ you; unless you are luckily enough to get a new job within a couple of months.
    This is fully known the government but they choose make sweeping generations and penalise unemployed people so it’s no wonder I can’t get a job. My reputation as a worker in this country is ruined and I didn’t even have to open my mouth or send a bad CV!
    In September I am starting part-time courses for the next academic year, all to try and get myself a job.

    12
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    Mute censored
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    Sep 5th 2012, 4:01 PM

    You *can* get a visa and a job abroad when you’re over 30. There is a skills shortage in Ireland. Things are never as simplistic as they’re portrayed in the media. Don’t give in, there is a way out of this and increasing your education/skills as you are planning is definitely the way to go. Good luck!

    6
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    Mute Anne Kerins
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    Sep 5th 2012, 2:52 PM

    All on flights to far away places, no thanks to the governments jobs policy.

    9
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    Mute Stephen murphy
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    Sep 5th 2012, 3:04 PM

    Back to School/ Emigration etc. etc.!

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    Mute gina61
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    Sep 5th 2012, 11:31 AM

    back to education is only cut in the lump sum u receive at beginning of college year not the weekly amount

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    Mute Barty
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    Sep 5th 2012, 11:56 AM

    really is silly season

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    Mute Rory Conway
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    Sep 5th 2012, 1:26 PM

    Silly season officially declared over, yesterday

    3
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    Mute Stephen murphy
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    Sep 5th 2012, 5:52 PM

    This is why they don’t allow ex-pats vote abroad, they’d be kicked stupid in elections!

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    Mute Robert Kennedy
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    Sep 5th 2012, 10:50 PM

    Why is everyone giving out on this why not a massive protest and stand up to these useless f**ks instead of giving out then another tax policy etc is slapped on u do a syria on it to f**k

    1
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    Mute Katriona Wallace
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    Sep 7th 2012, 5:34 PM

    If we protest during “working hours” and are later recognised by the DSP, then payments are stopped due to not looking for work.
    Plus people fear it might be held against them if applying for a job (not even worth risking). It’s a small country a with a small population.
    Eventually something will have to be done, the current dependence on working for free is creating a false jobs economy that is going to be the next big crash, and boy will it crash. The state, Troika and employers groups will only have themselves to blame.

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    Mute Katriona Wallace
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    Sep 5th 2012, 4:40 PM

    Thanks Censored, I hope something positive will result in all of my hard work! I think that Canadian pool of visas are filled for this year already. It’s harder because I can only get a visa when I have a job in Canada, whereas employers in Canada request that the visa process has already started or given before applying for the job. I’ve included in my application that this is the case.

    1
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