Written Answers. - Unemployment Statistics.
Mary Flaherty
Question:
24
Miss Flaherty
asked the
Minister for Social Welfare
if in view of the Government's commitment to gender equality, he will make a statement on the statistics that nearly 85 per cent of unemployed men are registered as unemployed whereas only 45 per cent of unemployed women are registered.
The question of the appropriate way to measure unemployment is primarily one for the Central Statistics Office. The two main measures of unemployment at present are the labour force survey, undertaken annually by the Central Statistics Office, and the monthly live register figures, based on the numbers signing on for unemployment payments or credits. These two measures are compiled in different ways and yield different results.
The 1990 labour force survey showed that, in the case of males, 90,000 out of 108,000 unemployed in the labour force survey were on the live register. In the case of females, the proportion was lower, with 27,000 out of 63,000 being on the register. Information is not available as to the reasons for this. A possible explanation is that people who regard themselves as unemployed but who are not entitled to an unemployment payment, do not in practice sign on the live register.
There is a range of other differences between the information from the labour force survey and the live register. For example, among those regarded as "inactive", that is, outside the workforce, in the labour force survey, 41,600 are on the live register. The most likely explanation is that people who regard themselves as not in the workforce, such as people who have taken early retirement or those on home duties, are continuing to sign on for social welfare payments or credits.
In relation to entitlement to unemployment payments, equal treatment legislation was introduced in 1986 and since then men and women are entitled to claim all social welfare payments on an equal basis.
My Department makes considerable efforts to ensure that all of those entitled to payments, be they male or female, are advised of their entitlements and encouraged to claim. We publish a range of information leaflets covering all aspects of entitlement. We also undertake advertising campaigns to highlight client awareness of the services obtainable and provide a support service to voluntary groups in advising the public of their rights.
