Since launching the Action Plan for Jobs in 2012, there are 176,000 additional people at work. The unemployment rate has fallen from 15.1% in 2012 to 8.3% in July this year. The Action Plan for Jobs as a whole of government approach to supporting employment growth across all sectors of the economy is working. As part of the Government’s commitment to support the creation of 200,000 jobs by 2020, with 135,000 to be outside Dublin, and to attract back 70,000 emigrants, the enterprise agencies of my Department have been set stretch targets for export-led job creation in their client firms over the coming years. Achieving these targets will be all the more challenging in the context of the UK Referendum result in June 2016.
The resilience of our economy will depend on the ability of our enterprises to compete effectively in international markets, to anticipate and respond to a changing global environment, and to anticipate and respond to customer demands for new products, services and solutions. Our comprehensive strategy for enterprise policy, Enterprise 2025 is an ambitious strategy, with the objective of delivering growth that is sustainable, that is led by strong export performance, that builds on our sectoral strengths, and that is underpinned by innovation, productivity and competitiveness. The availability of competitively priced world class infrastructure and related services is critical to support economic growth and enterprise development. As goods trade increases, so too will activities at our ports, airports, and on our roads. Increases in services trade can also be expected to generate increased activity at our airports. My Department is in ongoing discussions with other Departments and stakeholders - bi-laterally and via Cabinet Committee structures – to help ensure Ireland’s transport infrastructure can meet the needs of enterprise. Our engagement in the development of the new National Planning Framework, being led by the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, is also an important element of this work.
In relation to direct new jobs linked to increases in export activity, employment in Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland supported companies increased by 22,000 in 2015. These direct jobs are also estimated to support a similar number of jobs in the local economy. Almost two-thirds of the new jobs created by EI clients in 2015 were outside Dublin. Over half of the jobs created in IDA companies in 2015 were also outside Dublin. Exports are at record levels. Enterprise Ireland client exports exceeded €20.6bn in 2015, ahead of target. We are fighting hard to win new FDI. IDA had a record 213 project wins in 2015 and they recorded a strong performance in the first half of 2016. Continued export growth and success in markets is contingent on sustaining our competitiveness. We have climbed to 7th on the IMD Global Competitiveness Rankings but we have further progress to make if we are to achieve sustainable full employment.
