Unemployment declined steadily in 2015 but there were big regional variations. At the end of a year in which the national jobless rate dropped below 9 per cent for the first time since the crash, some parts of the State are still saddled with a rate in excess of 12 per cent.
Unemployment is at its lowest in Dublin and highest in the midlands and south-east. The southern and eastern regions, as well the south-west and mid-east, have a jobless rate at or below the national average of 8.9 per cent.
Opportunities
The employment recovery shows economic growth is opening up opportunities for tens of thousands of people.
Figures from the Central Statistics Office show that 56,000 more people were at work in July-September than in the same period in 2014. Some 130,000 people have found work since unemployment peaked above 15 per cent in 2012. The rate of progress is considerably quicker than forecast by external bodies, the International Monetary Fund among them.
The biggest increases in employment in 2015 were in construction and industry, each of which added jobs at a rate of more than 1,000 per month. But gains were also seen in agriculture, transport, the IT sector and in professional and administrative services.
More full-time jobs are being created and part-time employment is declining. Furthermore, long-term unemployment is falling rapidly. All of this augurs favourably for public finances. As well as boosting tax payments, increased employment eases pressure on the welfare budget.
Strains
But there are strains. Job creation in Dublin is advancing at more than twice the pace in the rest of the State, bringing the jobless rate in the capital to 8 per cent. This is putting pressure on housing and infrastructure. Amid an acute shortage of new homes in Dublin, rents have risen to levels not far off the pre-crash peak and house prices are also increasing.
This will lead to higher wage demands, eroding competitiveness gains made during the years of crisis. This is on top of wage pressure as workers take stock of increased job options.
Moreover, office supply in Dublin is very tight. The return of traffic congestion in the city presents a further challenge. In addition, it becomes harder to match jobs with skilled workers as employment grows.
These are problems associated with progress. While seasonally adjusted figures show that 191,700 people were unemployed in November, unemployment fell in 2015 to its lowest level since 2008.
