asked the Taoiseach if he will state the average number of persons in (a) industrial and (b) agricultural employment in each of the years 1956, 1957, 1958 and 1959 (to date).
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment Figures.
5.
Current statistics of the number of persons engaged in industry and agriculture are available only from the quarterly inquiry into industries producing transportable goods covered by the Census of Industrial Production and from the annual Agricultural Statistics Enumeration respectively. These figures relate to all persons engaged in the activities concerned and not merely to employees only. I propose, with the permission of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, to circulate in the Offical Report a statement containing the data from these two sources for the periods in question.
Following is the statement:—
NUMBER of persons engaged in industries producing transportable goods at the end of each quarter from March, 1956 to September, 1959.
|
Year |
March |
June |
September |
December |
Average of the four quarters |
|
1956 |
154,216 |
154,845 |
153,902 |
153,930 |
154,223 |
|
1957 |
147,191 |
150,163 |
151,020 |
152,092 |
150,117 |
|
1958 |
148,495 |
150,952 |
151,682 |
152,489 |
150,905 |
|
1959 |
151,249 |
155,774 |
156,022 |
Number of males engaged in farm work on 1st June, 1956 to 1959.
|
1st |
June, |
1956 |
409,300 |
|
,, |
,, |
1957 |
398,600 |
|
,, |
,, |
1958 |
395,300 |
|
,, |
,, |
1959 |
388,200 (provisional) |
6.
asked the Taoiseach if he will state the number of persons in insurable employment calculated on the basis of insurance stamps sold for each of the years ended 31st December, 1956, 1957, and 1958, and to the latest available date in 1959.
On the basis of the number of Social Welfare Insurance stamps sold in each of the calendar years 1956, 1957 and 1958 it is estimated that the average numbers of persons in insurable employment in these years were 498,500, 463,100 and 462,100 respectively. The corresponding figure for the twelve months ended 30 September, 1959, was 468,760.
It must be pointed out that the period in which stamps are purchased does not necessarily coincide with that in which the relevant employment was obtained. This lack of coincidence may be particularly marked in the case of calendar year periods since the Social Welfare Insurance cards for males fall due for exchange in the beginning of January and it is likely that a sizable proportion of the stamps purchased early in the calendar year relate to employment in the preceding year.
Will the Taoiseach say if comparable figures are kept for the various years referred to in the question and 1959, taking account of the increase as a result of the Social Insurance Act of last year?
I would prefer notice of that Question.
Is it not a fact that the Act altered the basis and consequently brought within the Act people who had not been within it before?
It merely brought into insurance people whose economic standards had improved by reason of the rise in the standards of living.
The income limit was raised in order to include these people.
Who had been previously in insurance and who had passed out of it.
Was not the increase in the level from £600 to £800?
May we ask the Taoiseach—the Tánaiste has rather uncivilly intervened; these Questions were addressed to the Taoiseach and we shall be discussing them in our adjournment debate—is there not a discrepancy which requires to be stated in regard to the number of persons who have been included in the 1959 total as a result of the altered position created by the Social Insurance Act?
As the Deputy knows, it is the practice to publish annually a complete review of the employment and unemployment trends. That will be done this year as in previous years.
Will the Taoiseach agree that there is some discrepancy to be taken account of?
That works both ways.
In the 1959 figures?
That must work both ways. People would be leaving insurance on promotion.
As the range was increased there must be more people within insurance.
People losing employment and not getting employment.
7.
asked the Taoiseach if he will state the total number of persons in employment in each of the following years, viz., 1956, 1957, and 1958 and to the latest available date in 1959.
It is presumed that the information required by the Deputy relates to number of persons at work and not merely to employees only. It has been estimated that in April 1956, the number of persons at work in the State was 1,163,000, in April, 1957 it was 1,141,000 and in April 1958 it was 1,131,000. The estimate for April 1959 is not yet available.