Almost 4,500 people lost their jobs in North Tipperary over the last two years, according to unemployment statistics for the month of August. This represents a 171% increase on figures for August 2007. What is equally concerning, is that a lost generation of unemployment has emerged with a 210% increase in the number of people under 25 year of age, joining the dole over the last two years. The town of Nenagh fared the worst in this category with a 283% increase.
Four Jobs Lost Daily In North Tipperary
Recent figures from the Central Statistic Office (CSO) show that almost four people lost their job every day throughout August in North Tipperary as the Live Register grew by 116 over the month. There are now 6,985 people on the dole in North Tipperary. Sixty three people, or two people per day, lost their jobs in Nenagh over the month of August. Forty people in Thurles lost their jobs and 13 people in Roscrea over the same period.
Deputy Noel Coonan, (Fine Gael) speaking to www.thurles.info this morning stated:
“State agencies like the IDA and Enterprise Ireland need to bring foreign direct investment to North Tipperary. They need to focus additional investment in the area and bring employment back to the region. State agencies must also be pivotal in providing, upskilling and retraining to the people in North Tipperary who have lost their jobs. North Tipperary faces many serious issues along with unemployment such as the proposed abolishion of Tipperary Institute in Thurles, the drastic changes to Nenagh Hospital and cuts in the Rural Transport Programme. This present Government just keeps on dealing hammer blow after hammer blow to this constituency.”
However, Deputy Coonan believes our level of unemployment is not insurmountable:
“Fine Gael has presented concrete, effective measures to protect existing jobs and create new ones. Fianna Fáil and those who support it, should take our measures on board and accept that there are other just ways. Unemployment in Nenagh has grown by a shocking 95% or 1,343 people over the last year. The corresponding figure for Thurles from August 2008 to August of this year is 84% or 1343 job losses. Roscrea witnessed a 70% increase. In total, 3,223 people lost their jobs in North Tipperary over the last year.”
CSO figures also revealed that unemployment in North Tipperary soared by a staggering 171% or 4,411 people over the last two years.
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