Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 November 2019
539. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons referred to JobPath since its commencement and to date in 2019, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46218/19]
View answerThe primary purpose of JobPath is to provide a case management based employment advice and counselling service to long-term unemployed jobseekers. The service was launched in 2015 on a ‘rolling basis’ with referral numbers gradually increasing over time.
Between July 2015 and October 2019, some 244,219 jobseekers had commenced their engagement period with the JobPath service - see table 1. Of this number, 52% were unemployed for over three years. This group, in particular, faces significant barriers when seeking to enter or return to paid employment.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Table 1: Jobseekers referred to JobPath by year
|
Year |
Jobseekers |
|
2015 |
6,591 |
|
2016 |
65,461 |
|
2017 |
74,871 |
|
2018 |
60,833 |
|
2019 to date |
36,463 |
|
Total |
244,219 |
