Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 December 2019
296. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the status of the programme for partnership Government commitment to prioritise balanced regional development which will allow Ireland aim for an unemployment rate in each county that is within 1% of the State average by 2020, in tabular form. [50026/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for a Partnership Government prioritised balanced regional development, targeting an unemployment rate in each county to be within one percent of the national average by 2020. County level unemployment rates are not available, hence data provided is at regional level.
As indicated in Table 1, between Q1 2015 and Q3 2019 there was an increase of 312,500 people in employment across the State, with employment increasing in all the eight regions in that period. 62% of jobs created and 195,600 people entering employment were outside Dublin.
Note that as of Q1 2018, the regional NUTS classifications have changed. The main changes at NUTS3 level are that South Tipperary has moved from the South East to the Mid-West NUTS3 region and Louth has moved from the Border to the Mid-East NUTS3 region. Thus, although there are only 2 counties have moved, the changes affected 4 of the 8 NUTS3 regions. The data has been back-cast to Q1 2012.
Table 1: Progress in employment by region from Q1 2015 to Q3 2019. Non-seasonally adjusted data.
|
Employed |
Employed |
Employed |
Unemployed (,000) |
Unemployed (,000) |
Unemployment Rate (%) |
Unemployment Rate (%) |
|
|
Region |
Q1 2015 |
Q3 2019 |
Change Q1 2015- Q3 2019 |
Q1 2015 |
Q3 2019 |
Q1 2015 |
Q3 2019 |
|
Border |
169,500 |
176,700 |
7,200 |
15.9 |
10.1 |
8.6 |
5.4 |
|
Midland |
108,100 |
131,400 |
23,300 |
18.9 |
7.2 |
14.9 |
5.3 |
|
West |
180,300 |
219,800 |
39,500 |
25.7 |
11.4 |
12.6 |
5 |
|
Dublin |
600,900 |
717,800 |
116,900 |
60.1 |
33.5 |
9.1 |
4.5 |
|
Mid-East |
294,900 |
343,600 |
48,700 |
31.1 |
22.2 |
9.6 |
6.1 |
|
Mid-West |
196,500 |
217,800 |
21,300 |
26.8 |
10.9 |
12 |
4.8 |
|
South-East |
169,200 |
190,100 |
20,900 |
22.3 |
14.9 |
11.7 |
7.3 |
|
South-West |
295,000 |
329,700 |
34,700 |
34.5 |
17.8 |
10.5 |
5.1 |
|
State |
2,014,400 |
2,326,900 |
312,500 |
235.2 |
128 |
10.5 |
5.2 |
Employment increased in six of the eight regions over the twelve months between Q3 2018 and Q3 2019, Table 2. Over the year to Q3 2019 employment grew faster in the West (5.3 per cent), Mid-East (5 per cent) Midland (3.3 per cent), and Dublin (3.1 per cent) than in the State overall (2.4 per cent).
Table 2: Employment Performance by Region – Figures from Q3 2018 and Q3 2019; and Annual change from Q3 2018 – Q3 2019. Non-seasonally adjusted data.
|
Region |
2018 Q3 |
2019 Q3 |
Annual Change Q3 2018 – Q3 2019, No |
Annual Change Q3 2018 – Q3 2019, % |
|
Border |
178,300 |
176,700 |
-1,600 |
-0.9% |
|
Midland |
127,200 |
131,400 |
4,200 |
3.3% |
|
West |
208,700 |
219,800 |
11,100 |
5.3% |
|
Dublin |
696,200 |
717,800 |
21,600 |
3.1% |
|
Mid-East |
327,100 |
343,600 |
16,500 |
5.0% |
|
Mid-West |
215,300 |
217,800 |
2,500 |
1.2% |
|
South-East |
186,500 |
190,100 |
3,600 |
1.9% |
|
South-West |
333,900 |
329,700 |
-4,200 |
-1.3% |
|
State |
2,273,200 |
2,326,900 |
53,700 |
2.4% |
|
Outside Dublin |
1,577,000 |
1,609,100 |
32,100 |
2.0% |
The deviations of the Q3 2019 regional unemployment rates from the State are presented in Table 3. The Q3 2019 regional unemployment rates are less than 1 per cent above the State average (5.2 per cent) for all regions with the exception of the South-East at 2.1 percent. The overall ‘outside Dublin’ unemployment rate is within 1 per cent of the national average.
Table 3: Unemployment Rate by regions and quarter, the changes from Q3 2018 to Q3 2019 (% points), and the deviation of the Q3 2019 regional unemployment rates from the state average. Non-seasonally adjusted data.
|
Region |
Q3 2018 |
Q3 2019 |
Annual Change Q3 2018 to Q3 - 2019 (% Points) |
Difference from State Average (% Points) |
|
Border |
5.10% |
5.40% |
0.3% |
-0.2% |
|
Midland |
7.10% |
5.30% |
-1.8% |
-0.1% |
|
West |
6.60% |
5.00% |
-1.6% |
0.2% |
|
Dublin |
5.30% |
4.50% |
-0.8% |
0.7% |
|
Mid-East |
5.80% |
6.10% |
0.3% |
-0.9% |
|
Mid-West |
7.20% |
4.80% |
-2.4% |
0.4% |
|
South-East |
8.60% |
7.30% |
-1.3% |
-2.1% |
|
South-West |
4.90% |
5.10% |
0.2% |
0.1% |
|
State |
6.00% |
5.20% |
-0.8% |
- |
|
Outside Dublin |
6.24% |
5.55% |
-0.7% |
-0.3% |
A target to add 200,000 new jobs by 2020, including 135,000 outside of Dublin has been achieved. Regional Enterprise Plans are crucial in meeting this target. Three regions, Mid-East, West and Dublin, have exceeded the 2020 targets to have a further 10 to 15 per cent at work in each region by 2020 and ensure that the unemployment rate is within 1 percentage point of the State average.
In May 2017, my Department launched Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF) with funding of up to €60m aimed at accelerating economic recovery in all regions of the country by delivering on the potential of local and regional enterprise strengths. This competitive fund supports significant collaborative and innovative regional initiatives to build on specific industry sectoral strengths and improve enterprise capability, thereby driving job creation. Focus is on creating quality jobs that are sustainable in the longer term in line with Future Jobs Ireland ambitions.
