Vol. 446 No. 4
73 Mr. O'Malley asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment his views on the reason 60.2 per cent of the unemployed in Ireland are long term unemployed while the figure in the United States of America is 11.2 per cent and among OECD states it is 28.6 per cent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2246/94]
Our relatively high level of long term unemployment (approaching 50 per cent) is the result of two types of factor, firstly, factors contributing to high unemployment generally and, secondly, factors specific to long term unemployment.
The reasons behind our high level of unemployment have been well analysed and documented. These include cyclical factors such as developments in our external markets as well as the deeper, structural reasons such as the shake-out in agriculture which still continues, the continuing high levels of new entrants to the labour market, and factors which have weakened job performance on the industrial front, particularly those which were highlighted in the Culliton and Moriarty reports.
Factors which impact more specifically on long term unemployment include competition for jobs from new entrants to the labour market and, in many cases, education and skill deficiencies of the unemployed. It is a fact that those who are a long time out of employment experience particular difficulty availing of whatever job vacancies arise.
The Government focus in addressing this particular problem is threefold.
