Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 29 Apr 1953

Vol. 138 No. 7

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Register.

Mr. Kyne

asked the Taoiseach if he will state the percentages of insured persons on the live register at the middle of November and December, 1952, and January, February and March, 1953.

Donnchadh Ó Briain

I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to circulate in the Official Report a statement giving the desired information.

Following is the statement:—

Estimated Percentages of Insured Persons on the Live Register* at the middle of November and December, 1952, and January, February and March, 1953 (exclusive of Agriculture, Fishing and Private Domestic Service).

	%
November, 1952	9.1
December, 1952	9.1
January, 1953	11.9
February, 1953	12.3
March, 1953	12.5

* The coming into operation of the Social Welfare Act, 1952, has had the effect of increasing the numbers of persons insured and also, it is believed, the numbers of persons registering in the categories covered by the above table. In calculating the percentages the number of persons insured has been taken as the number of persons in the specified categories insured in the previous insurance year ended October, 1952. It may be necessary subsequently to revise the above figures.

Mr. Kyne

asked the Taoiseach if he will state the number of persons on the live register at mid-February and mid-March of the years 1951, 1952 and 1953 in each of the main industrial groups.

Donnchadh Ó Briain

I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to circulate in the Official Report a statement giving the desired information.

Following is the statement:—

NUMBER OF PERSONS ON THE LIVE REGISTER* AT MID-FEBRUARY AND MID-MARCH OF THE YEARS 1951, 1952 AND 1953 IN EACH OF THE MAIN INDUSTRIAL GROUPS.

Industrial Group	1951	1952	1953
mid-February	mid-March	mid-February	mid-March	mid-February	mid-March†
Food	2,549	2,241	2,518	2,236	3,634	3,515
Drink	455	442	467	392	582	554
Tobacco	122	174	126	102	155	276
Textiles	973	1,081	2,346	2,693	1,029	1,182
Clothing	1,931	1,617	4,687	4,254	2,442	2,404
Skins and leather, rubber and waterproof goods	223	213	315	1,254	331	383
Woodworking, furniture and fittings	501	445	653	622	887	838
Metal manufactures and engineering	929	890	1,009	1,150	1,531	1,739
Vehicles	751	675	761	691	1,210	1,179
Fertilisers, chemicals, paints, etc.	231	210	388	296	331	368
Papermaking, stationery printing, etc.	354	350	502	485	668	628
Mining and quarrying	149	129	254	245	453	492
Bricks, building materials, pottery, etc.	170	175	212	216	384	387
General building (houses, etc.)	5,735	5,046	7,202	6,702	9,713	9,400
Other construction (roads, etc.)	8,975	8,711	10,562	9,944	12,495	13,232
Gas, electricity and water	280	258	302	273	380	373
Transport and communication	3,197	2,976	3,336	3,353	4,744	4,586
Distributive trades	5,150	4,901	5,375	5,204	6,827	6,806
Finance	206	222	263	163	246	236
Public Administration	1,050	988	1,206	1,173	1,373	1,354
Professions	314	280	312	315	453	511
Personal Services	2,818	2,695	2,713	2,669	3,673	3,564
Entertainments and sports	445	448	486	538	550	537
Other Industries or services	639	597	701	690	1,063	1,024
Agriculture	24,645	22,302	27,440	23,729	32,185	32,568
Fishing	420	420	425	400	508	460
Unspecified	241	235	284	304	248	257
TOTAL	63,453	58,721	74,845	70,093	88,095	88,853

* The content of the figures in 1953 differs from that in the earlier years due to the legislative changes effected by the Social Welfare Act, 1952. While it is not possible to give a precise measure of the effect of the legislative changes in increasing the Live Register, an investigation made in February, 1953, indicated that the increase at that date was in the region of 10,000.

†The March, 1953, figures also differ somewhat from those for the corresponding month in 1951 and 1952 due to the later incidence of the First Employment Period Order, 1953.