asked the Minister for Labour if his attention has been drawn to the changing trend in youth employment from agriculture and manufacturing industries to the service sectors; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Changing Employment Trends.
116.
The trends to which the Deputy refers are well-established long term ones experienced in economically advanced countries. They have affected the structure of employment in these countries and have had an impact on employment opportunities for all age groups. The Government regard these general trends as part of the process of economic growth and has them taken into account in framing the National Plan. Building on Reality 1985-1987.
Employment in agriculture has been in decline in Ireland since the last century. Even since 1960 agriculture's share of total employment in Ireland has decreased from 37.3 per cent to 17.0 per cent which is in line with trends on all other OECD countries. The share of employment held by the service sector in Ireland has increased from 39.0 per cent in 1960 to 53.2 per cent in 1983. Again, this was also in line with trends in all other OECD countries. The general experience has not been so uniform, however, with regard to trends in industrial employment. Industry's share of total employment in Ireland increased from 23.7 per cent to 29.8 per cent between 1960 and 1983, while for the OECD countries as a whole there was a decrease from 35.3 per cent to 31.6 per cent over the same period. The Irish experience was, however, shared by other developed countries in which the industrialisation process is comparatively recent, whereas in the more economically advanced countries the peak in industrial employment has already passed.
The Government have published employment projections for the period 1984-87 in Building on Reality. They envisaged a decrease of 11,000 in agricultural employment over the period of the plan, together with increases of 14,000 and 17,000 in industry and services respectively.