Exporting sector key role in increasing employment - Costello

26 November 2013

by Cllr Joe Costello

Joe Costello TD, the Minister for Trade and Development, has welcomed the latest employment figures from the CSO.  The figures are contained in the Quarterly National Household Survey, which was published by the CSO today.   

The survey shows that there was an annual increase in employment of 3.2% or 58,000 in the year to the second quarter of 2013, bringing total employment to 1,899,300.  Moreover, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased from 13.6% to 12.8% over the quarter. This is the fifth quarter in succession in which unemployment has decreased on an annual basis having been on a continuous upward trend since 2005.

“The latest figures show that, over the last quarter, 7,500 jobs were created each month.  Labour in Government is committed to fixing our broken economy and getting people back to work.  Under the previous Government, 250,000 people lost their jobs between 2008 and 2011.  While it will take time to recover, things are definitely moving in the right direction.

“These figures are very positive and show how committed the Labour Party is to getting people back to work.

“As Minister for Trade and Development, part of my role is to develop markets abroad for Irish produced goods and services so that extra jobs are created at home.  The number of Enterprise Ireland Ministerial-led trade missions has more than doubled annually since 2011, supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and our Embassy network.

“In recent weeks, I have led trade missions to South Africa and Nigeria, and over the next few weeks, I will take part in further trade missions to Uganda and Kenya.   The aim of these trade missions is to cement and build on links and open new doors for increased export business.  Central to the Government’s plan for jobs and growth is creating a powerful engine of indigenous enterprise.  Indigenous exporting companies, directly and indirectly, provide over 300,000 jobs in Ireland at present.  The intensive programme of trade and investment missions that I have led contributes strongly to the protection of existing jobs and the creation of more jobs at home in Ireland.”