Minister Doherty Welcomes Labour Force Survey Results for Quarter 3 2019

“I particularly welcome the decreases in the numbers of long-term unemployed as well as the drop in youth unemployment. The government's Jobs Strategy and the employment activation measures of my own department are clearly paying dividends, evidenced by the fact that today’s continued increase in employment is the twenty-ninth consecutive quarter where employment has grown on an annual basis.

“While we are nearing full employment now, I am committed to putting in place further measures to help those who are particularly challenged from accessing the jobs market. In the last Budget, for example, I secured an additional €2 million for Community Employment participants to engage in vital training programmes to prepare them for employment in the open labour market. I have provided €2.5m in additional expenditure for tailored activation measures aimed at vulnerable groups such as women returning to the labour market as well as Travellers and ex-offenders.

“With regard to women in particular, I intend to develop a pilot scheme to assist women to return to the workplace. The participation rate for women in the workforce is 56.2%, compared to 69.1% for men. There are many talented, skilled and productive women out there who have stepped out of the workplace – to raise a family or care for a relative – who wish to return but may lack the confidence or recent experience to access a job. I hope to partner up with some of Ireland’s top blue chip companies to develop a pilot scheme of ‘Returnships’ whereby women can re-enter the workforce and quickly build up the confidence and experience they need to actively engage within the workforce.”