Action Plans for Jobs 2017 Must Focus on Youth Unemployment

Commenting on today’s (4 January 2017) release of the CSO Monthly Unemployment figures for December 2016, Mark O’Mahoney, Director of Policy and Communications Chambers Ireland said, “The ongoing reduction in the unemployment rate is positive news, coming as it does at a time of uncertainty for the Irish economy.”

“However, the most encouraging aspect of the December figures is the drop in the rate of youth unemployment. Youth unemployment fell by 0.9% to 14.5% in December and while remaining high, the trend over the past six months is moving in the right direction. High youth unemployment remains as a legacy of the recession and needs to be addressed. Increasing opportunities for young people starting out in the workplace is important not only for economic reasons but is essential for the future social cohesion of Ireland.”

“Government must remain focused on job creation and tackling youth unemployment in 2017. There are two clear ways this can be achieved. The first is by making youth unemployment a specific focus of the Action Plan for Jobs 2017. The Action Plan for Jobs programme has made a significant contribution to job creation over recent years, and by focusing on youth unemployment in 2017 we believe further progress will be made on this front. Secondly, the Action Plan for Education must be delivered as soon as possible. This Plan provides for an expansion of apprenticeship programmes, traineeships and workplace focused education and training, all of which will prepare young people for a modern labour market. These two measures will help Ireland meaningfully deal with what has proven a stubborn problem.”

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For further information contact Susan McDermott, Chambers Ireland on 01 400 4331, 086 6081605 or email susan.mcdermott@www.chambers.ie. 

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