Unemployment down almost 10% in a year – McFadden

Fine Gael TD for Longford Westmeath, Gabrielle McFadden, has welcomed this week’s CSO figures showing that the numbers of people signing on to the Live Register has decreased by almost 10% year on year.

“This week’s CSO figures show that the Action Plan for Jobs (APJ) is working. 370,050 people were signing on the Live Register in September 2014. This represents an annual decrease of 38,620; a drop of almost 10%.

“Yesterday’s CSO figures show that since the launch of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs in February 2012, the live register has fallen from 15.1% down to 11.1% currently. We are firmly on track to help create 100,000 jobs by 2016. Employment is now at its highest level since 2009. Nearly 700 jobs were created in the last few days alone.

“In further evidence of our improving economy this week, the end of Quarter 3 Exchequer returns show that our deficit has decreased by €2.5 billion in the last year and our tax revenues are up by 6.5%.

“I know that many people in the midlands have yet to feel the effects of the economic upturn, however the Action Plan for Jobs has a regional focus and its new regional enterprise strategy will seek to address continuing problems in the midlands. It is the Government’s intention to ensure that the economic recovery will be felt by all.”