February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Andrew Bushe
DUBLIN — The number of jobless has fallen to the lowest level for 19 years and the unemployment level has reached 5 percent — the target set by the government for the middle of the year.
The numbers on the live register fell by 32,000 last year — the biggest ever reduction in a single year.
In 1999, the number of men signing on fell by 25,746 and women by 13,467. The live register figure at the end of the year was 176,539
When seasonally adjusted, the new figures released by the Central Statistics Office show that 5,400 left the live register in December.
The falling numbers on the dole mean huge savings on the government’s massive social-welfare payments bill, but the skills shortages in the economy are causing serious problem for business and industry trying to hire staff.
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A jobless rate of 5 percent is regarded as effectively full employment and at that level people who want jobs would be able to get them.