Recent figures might show a slight drop in unemployment in Galway but the number of people searching for jobs in the city and county remains “far too high”.
This is the view of Labour Galway West TD Derek Nolan who was commenting on figures from the Central Statistics Office which show that 23,224 people were out of work in the city and county at the end of April.
Clifden had the biggest recorded drop in unemployment, with 84 people coming off the Live Register, while in Galway city 44 people came off the dole to secure jobs.
“The decrease in unemployment in Galway is welcome news,” said Dep Nolan. “However, it is nothing to be delighted about. The number of people searching for jobs is still too high and this must be tackled to ensure people get a chance to put their skills to use, earn extra income, and contribute to the economy.”
Dep Nolan said unemployment can be tackled through the Government’s jobs initiative, which was launched this week.
He said it aims to introduce an element of economic confidence and stimulate growth by providing more jobs for builders, funding small-scale school building projects, and retrofitting houses.
“The Government’s job initiative will propose moves that will help the country to get back on its feet and get people back to work,” he said. “It is in marked contrast to the last government which never took job creation seriously.”
