The people of the south-east are suffering more than most in the recession that has hit the country.
The Quarterly National Household Survey figures released this week show that 41,700 people are unemployed in the south-east region.
The region’s unemployment rate has increased substantially to 18.1 per cent compared with 8.8 per cent two years ago. This is the highest regional unemployment rate in the State.
These figures confirm fears locally that Kilkenny and parts of the south-east have been neglected by recent governments while other counties around the country prospered during the Celtic Tiger.
It has often been stated that Kilkenny has not fared well out of enterprise and development and these figures are proof of this
Speaking on the issue, IBEC regional director John Farrell said, “These figures highlight the serious impact the economic downturn has had on the region. 41,700 people are out of work locally and over 299,000 nationally. The new Government must act quickly in its first 100 days to put a comprehensive jobs plan in place. Businesses want to see a relentless focus on reform, cost savings, competitiveness and the support of enterprise.
“We have an unemployment crisis that needs to be tackled head-on, particularly the very serious problem of long-term unemployment. We need to put in place advice and training services for those who have lost their jobs so they are able to take up work when companies start hiring again. We also need a concerted effort to bring our wage levels back down to those of our competitors.
“Getting the country back to work is the most important task facing the new Government. Every decision must take into account the impact on jobs. The right policies will help restore our economic fortunes, but the wrong ones will prolong the economic pain,” warned Mr Farrell.
