By Andrew Bushe
DUBLIN — The jobs situation has further worsened with the unemployment rate increasing to 4.2 percent in February as the fallout from the international economic slowdown continues to hit industry.
As hundreds of new job losses were announced last week, the Central Statistics Office published figures that revealed the number of unemployed has gone up by more 28,600 in the year to February.
The February figures show there were 160,800 people signing on for Live Register benefits during the month, an increase of 4,500 in the month after adjustment for seasonal factors.
At the peak of the Celtic Tiger, unemployment had reached a historically low level of 3.6 percent in the three months from January to March 2001.
Unemployment has been rising steadily since and in January reached 4.1 percent — the first time the rate had gone above 4 percent since July 2000.
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Government Chief Whip Seamus Brennan said that despite the jobless increase, the economy “remains very strong and continues to demonstrate an in-built resilience to withstand external pressures.”
The Ardagh Glass plant in Dublin said it plans to shut in June with the loss of 375 jobs. The closure will put strong pressure on the government’s environmental re-cycling program.
About 1,300 bottle banks supply the factory. Alternative recycling facilities will be needed to meet EU requirements. Ardagh has being taking bottles and jam jars from the Rehab disability charity for 18 years.
About 260 jobs were lost at the Youghal Carpet Yarns in East Cork as the American owners said demand for the raw materials its makes for carpet firms have been badly hit by change in styles and increasing competition from lower-cost producers.
Last year the company agreed a survival plan with the unions involving 90 redundancies. But the company said the 11 September attacks hit the business and in recent weeks there has been a “total collapse” in orders.
In Sligo about 50 people will lose their jobs at the S’han Media video factory that employs over 300.