Vol. 457 No. 2
4 Miss Harney asked the Taoiseach the number of changes that have been made in the last ten years in the way in which the level of unemployment is calculated in terms of categories that were previously included but which are no longer included in the live register; and the impact, if any, on current unemployment statistics of each of these changes. [13427/95]
The main administrative and statistical changes in the live register in the past ten years have been as follows:
(a) The pre-retirement allowance scheme and the pre-retirement credits scheme were introduced in March 1990 and August 1990 respectively.
These schemes currently allow persons aged 55 years and over to make a declaration that they have retired from the labour market. Such persons are thus excluded from the live register.
(b) From May 1992, the systematic short-time category was extended to incorporate persons on "week on/week off" working arrangements who worked for 50 per cent or more of their normal working days in the previous four weeks. Such persons are excluded from the live register because of their strong job attachment.
(c) UA smallholders had been excluded from the Register since 1966. Other self-employed persons in receipt of UA as a means of income support were also excluded with effect from May 1992.
The numbers of persons in these categories in August 1995 are:
|
PRECS and PRETA: |
17,509 |
|
“Week on/Week off”: |
1,500 (estimated) |
|
Self Employed: |
3,500 |
The CSO's monthly live register statement includes separate tables giving details of those categories excluded from the register.
Would the Minister accept that, when one includes those on community employment schemes, there are approximately 60,000 people who do have a real job and who are not included in the live register figures? If you include them, one in four of the workforce are apparently out of work and seeking real employment. Does the Minister accept that that is the accurate figure?
People working on FÁS schemes of a community nature or otherwise, and who are very fruitfully employed, would find the experience of employment very invigorating indeed. No one could seriously suggest that, in terms of the work they do or the benefits they derive therefrom, they are not gainfully employed.
I am asking the Minister a statistical question which both his Leader and the Minister for Enterprise and Employment raised on this point when they were in Opposition. At the time, they forcefully said that our figures grossly underestimate the extent of unemployment in this economy. Would the Minister accept that is a fact?
No. The fact is that FÁS and community employment schemes have become a feature of modern life. They were introduced specifically to help communities as well as providing gainful employment to people who are legitimately unemployed. In terms of their contribution to the economy, to the community and to themselves, such people can be categorised as being very gainfully employed indeed. The Deputy will also be aware that there have been substantial revisions of the conditions applying to the schemes enabling people to continue the work in which they are currently involved.
Most of the recommendations concerning the exclusion of those on pre-retirement schemes, week on/week off and the self-employed, were made by way of a commission and study carried out when the Deputy was a Minister of State in the Government up to 1992.
Does the Minister of State plan to introduce up-to-date statistics on unemployment levels? Long-term unemployment figures come out only every six months by which time they are already two months out of date. Surely, with new technology an effort can be made to improve this position.
The Minister may not have the information, but statistics for employment, as opposed to unemployment, are woefully inadequate. The last on employment date from spring 1994. No school leaver surveys appear to have been conducted in the recent past either. Perhaps the Minister of State would look into that.
As the Deputy is aware, there is an ongoing review of the accuracy of statistics. The definitive survey of unemployed and employed people is the labour force survey which is carried out once a year. While this is the subject matter of another question, we are actively looking at this at present. However, the up-to-date statistics in terms of timeliness are the live register figures because they are compiled on a monthly basis. The checking, cross-checking, monitoring and evaluating of statistics is an ongoing process in the Central Statistics Office.
