(Dublin Central) asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the number of new jobs created in the year ended March, 1975.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - New Jobs.
28.
I presume the Deputy is referring to new jobs created in manufacturing industry.
It is difficult to make a close estimate of new job creation in industry because of the time-lag between approval of new projects and their realisation. However, on the best information available to them, the Industrial Development Authority estimate that in the calendar year 1974, the latest period for which an estimate is available, about 16,000 new jobs were created in manufacturing industry.
Can the Minister state how the increase in new jobs compares with job losses in existing industries?
The Deputy will appreciate that there are a number of inputs in the context of rising unemployment. So far as we can estimate—this is from the IDA survey rather than from Central Statistics Office figures—the number of job losses was about 20,000. Therefore, the net number of jobs losses is about 4,000. This is a first estimate.
How would the Minister relate the net loss of about 4,000 jobs to the fact that there are now about twice as many on the unemployed register compared with this time last year, that is, 120,000 compared with 60,000?
I did not develop that point when replying to the previous supplementary. In regard to the total number on the register, there are such factors as young persons coming on to the labour market, people leaving agriculture and downturns in the service sectors. As the opening sentence of my reply indicated, I am talking here of new jobs created in the manufacturing industry. That is the reason for the difference.
(Dublin Central): About three weeks ago I tabled a question to the Minister asking for information as to the number of factories which closed in the year in question. I was told that 56 factories closed with a loss of 3,600 jobs. Is the figure of 16,000 in addition to those 3,600?
One tries to give an answer to the question asked but I cannot give a definite answer to that supplementary. There would be a difference between jobs lost in factories closing down and jobs lost where the numbers fell by way of natural wastage or where there were redundancies without the factories being closed.
Has the Minister any idea of what will be the trend in the coming year both in respect of job creations and job losses?
We cannot extend this question.
Perhaps it is the most important question of the year.
We are now in the sixth month of the year. To take the situation for a twelve-month period, the predictions are for an upturn in the third quarter of 1975, becoming more marked in the last quarter of this year and in the first quarter of 1976 although the experts in this field in various parts of the world have been in conflict with each other. It is fair to say that when this economic upturn occurs there is a little time lag before it translates itself into new jobs or into a reduction of unemployment.
There are a number of Deputies offering but I must indicate that, having allowed a good deal of time on this question, I am moving on to the next one.
Perhaps the Minister would clarify one point. He gave a figure of 16,000 for new jobs in the manufacturing industry but can he say whether this means 16,000 people at work?
No. The term as used is "new job creation". The point the Deputy is making is important because there is a time lag between the creation of new jobs in terms of the agreement for an investment in an enterprise and the recruitment of staff which usually takes place in a phased way over a fairly long period of time. Therefore, the figure for new job creation in a twelve-month period is always different from the number for the recruitment of individuals. The two figures are frequently confused.
Would it not be possible for the IDA or for the Department to compile statistics giving the number of new jobs under way at a particular time?
Such figures are compiled and are available in some detail.
Obviously, they are not good enough.
I was answering the question I was asked. There is an important distinction.
Can the Minister say how many jobs were created and how many people began employment?
I will get the best answer possible for the most recent period but I have not got the information here.
A final supplementary from Deputy Haughey.
Having presided over an industrial arm in which 20,000 jobs were lost in one year, would the Minister for Industry and Commerce consider objectively whether he should resign?
This is something that is capable of being considered objectively but I have not reached the conclusion that I should resign.