White Welcomes Further Fall In Live Register Figures

Today (Thursday 21 May), I welcomed the news that the number of people on the live register has fallen below 10% for the first time in seven years.

The latest CSO figures represent a significant milestone in our economic recovery.  This is the first time the live register has fallen into single figures for seven years and demonstrates that we are on course to meeting this Government’s target of full employment in 2018.

The decrease in those signing the register is reflected locally with a 20.33% drop at Nutgrove Social Welfare Office and a 30.9% fall at Dún Laoghaire Intreo Office (serving Stepaside, Stillorgan, Kilmacud, Mount Merrion, Sandyford, Kilternan and Leopardstown), since the formation of Government in March 2011.

This highlights the continuing economic recovery at both a local and national level and underlines the effectiveness of Government initiatives.

On entering Government, the numbers signing the live register stood at close to 15%.  Since then we have worked long and hard to get people back to work and to return growth to our economy.

Over 100,000 people have progressed off the register since the formation of Government in March 2011, while we now have the fastest growing economy in Europe, a testament to the progress we have made over the past four years.

I’m also pleased to note that more young people are getting to work in good, quality jobs.  Since the formation of Government in March 2011, there have been decreases in the number of under-25s signing the live register of 53.55% and 56.47% at Nutgrove Social Welfare Office and Dún Laoghaire Intreo Office respectively.