Vol. 563 No. 6
22 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her views on a recent FÁS report highlighting that unemployment is rising faster here than in other European Union countries; and if her Department has made necessary adjustments for the cost implications of this change. [8407/03]
The FÁS report in question, the Quarterly Labour Market Commentary for spring 2003, gives an overview of recent developments in the labour market.
Ireland's unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the EU and it is a priority of Government to ensure that it remains so. Statistics relating to European Union unemployment are issued by Eurostat using the International Labour Organisation measure of unemployment. The most recent unemployment figures available from Eurostat were the seasonally-adjusted series published on 4 March 2003.
In these the unemployment figure in the case of Ireland rose by 0.3%, from 4.2% to 4.5%, in the period January 2002 to January 2003. This rise is lower than the rises in all but two of the EU countries for which comparative figures are available.
The average unemployment rate in the EU is 7.9% while the average unemployment rate for the eurozone countries is 8.6%. In the case of both of these measures the rise in the relevant period was 0.5%.
Under the national employment action plan certain persons on the live register are referred to FÁS for offers of jobs or training and education. The referral threshold has recently been reduced from nine to six months for those aged over 25 years of age.
