Government policy to reduce unemployment is twofold. First, through policies set out in the Action Plan for Jobs, to create an environment in which business can succeed and create jobs; and second, through Pathways to Work, to ensure that as many as possible of these new jobs and other vacancies that arise in our economy are filled by people taken from the Live Register, including young people.
Reflecting the impact of government policy, and the overall improvement in the labour market, youth unemployment continues to fall with a rate of 14.5% (30,500 persons) in February 2017 estimated by CSO, as compared to 17.2% (32,600) persons in February 2016 and a peak of over 31% (70,600 persons) in 2012. Unemployment data are not available at the county level.
However, the number of young people signing on the Live Register in offices in Sligo and Leitrim (which may serve as an indicator of trends in unemployment) has fallen from 1,430 in February 2012 to 720 in February 2017. I know that the Deputy will very much welcome this information.
While systemised data is not readily available on employment outcomes for specific programmes nationally or at county level, some indicative figures are available for people aged under 25 at a national level. For example:
- The evaluation of JobBridge by Indecon (report published October 2016), shows on the basis of self-reported survey results that 61% of interns aged 20 to 24 years (and 53.8% of those aged 15-19) were currently in employment at the time of the survey. Overall, individuals similar to those who participated in JobBridge had a 36.6% probability of securing employment within one year, whereas the JobBridge interns’ probability of securing employment within one year increased to 48.4% (an 11.8 percentage point difference and a 32% increase in the probability of becoming employed).
- JobsPlus provides subsidies to employers for the full-time employment of those formerly long-term unemployed on the Live Register. In October 2016 there were 4,323 participants benefiting from JobsPlus, 765 (17.7%) of whom were under 25.
- In 2015 the level of satisfaction among under 25 year old Intreo clients with getting on to course, training or getting a job was very high at 4.27, of a possible maximum of 5.
- 2016 results from the Customer Satisfaction Survey will be published shortly and show a similar high level of satisfaction among under 25 year olds Intreo clients with getting on to course, training or getting a job.
Under the Government’s policies to support the young unemployed, the first intervention is to provide case officer support to help newly unemployed young people find and secure sustainable jobs. There is monthly engagement with all young jobseekers by a case officer, and a Personal Progression Plan is developed to chart the steps to be taken to facilitate a return to employment, which may include further education and training or other opportunities.
For those who do not find employment, through the process just described, additional offers are provided for. Most such offers (over 70%) are in existing further education or training programmes. Others are in existing community-based employment programmes/workplace based interventions such as CE, Gateway and Tús and First Steps; or in subsidies to employers, through JobsPlus Youth. Long-term unemployed jobseekers under 25 are also referred to JobPath, a contracted, payment-by-results employment services that provides additional resources and supports to those long-term unemployed.
Pathways to Work 2016 to 2020 sets additional targets in relation to addressing youth unemployment: 1) increase the relative share of workplace-based interventions (Gateway, TÚS, Positive to Work etc.) for youth unemployed; 2) to ensure the frequency of engagement with all young unemployed people is a minimum of one case officer meeting per month; 3) restructure the First Steps programme for young unemployed people to improve take-up by offering a higher level of support to jobseekers and employers – these consolidate reforms undertaken in previous Pathways to Work strategies; the fourth action, to implement the Defence Forces Skills for Life employment support programme, is a new programme. The First Steps Programme has now been restructured and the pilot Skills For Life programme has been completed.
I am satisfied that these policy measures, together with an improving labour market, will continue to address youth unemployment and support further improvements in the labour market situation for young people across the country.
