With over 33,000 people unemployed in the midland region, IBEC, the lobby group that represents businesses, said that these new figures highlighted the need for all political parties to focus on putting jobs at the top of their agenda.
“The new government must provide the conditions for businesses to create jobs and must base all decisions on the likely impact on jobs,” said IBEC regional director, Gary O’Mahoney.
The CSO Live Register figures published this week, February 2, showed 33,466 people on the Midlands Live Register - a monthly increase of 336.
The Live Register includes people who are full-time unemployed, as well as the part-time employed who seek some assistance for the Department of Social Welfare. The age profile of the Live Register gives a poignant regard as to the options available to those on it as only 6,627 (20 per cent ) of the total are under the age of 25, whereas 26,839 are over 25.
The CSO defines the Midlands region as Laois, Offaly, Longford, and Westmeath. Approximately half (16,000 ) of the total figure is in the constituency of Longford/Westmeath.
“The Midlands region has been devastated by job losses in the last few years. We owe it to the 33,466 people on the Live Register to put all our energies into getting the region back to work.
“The incoming government must understand that its purpose is to provide the conditions for businesses to create jobs. Now more than ever we need every decision to be made based on its likely impact on the ability of businesses to create employment.
“We would like to see the new government appoint a senior minister with the key responsibility for addressing the jobs crisis. The Minister should have the authority to ensure that each government department and agency places jobs at the very top of its agenda. The Minister must have a recognised, authoritative, and cross-departmental role in relation to job creation and retention,” concluded Mr O’Mahoney.
