Central Statistics Office (CSO) published the data that show steady decrease of the unemployment numbers growth. The absolute figure for August 2008 shows the unemployment at 12.4%. Although this is a record figure it shows the steady decrease of the unemployment growth from over a 0.5% of the workforce per month, to ‘just’ 0.2 in August 2009. September is usually a good month for employment so it is expectable for the unemployment growth figure to decrease even more.

If the trend unemployment trend continues the path it was following this whole year, we will not see much higher figures than what we have today, and the unemployment growth should totally stop before the end of this year, and we should see the recovery in January 2010.

Just when we though things could not get any worse there has been more negative news from the SME sector. ISME carried out a recent survey with 600 organisations and the findings were not great. The key points are as follows.

70% of the SME’s surveyed did not think that they would be in business next year if things continued as they are. This is serious as SME’s in Ireland don’t get the media cover that multinationals get but they contribute massively to employment in the country.

And speaking of jobs over 40% of those surveyed indicated that they would be cutting jobs in the near future. Suddenly the 500k unemployment figure seems a reality.

So what is causing this negative feedback. Basically the banks have a big part to play as many SME’s complain that they cannot access credit. The consumer also plays a role as there has been large drop off in orders.

Not surprisingly construction leads the way with the negative sentiment followed by retail, manufacturing and distribution.

Measurability is a leading provide of outplacement services for employers and CV & Interview services for jobseekers in Ireland.

The Taoiseach has told the Dáil that the number of people who signed on the Live Register last month was up 11,400. Brian Cowen said this morning that the total number on the register is now 413,500. He said the growth was the slowest rate of increase since January.

In the year to June, the Central Statistics Office says there was an unadjusted increase of 197,781 people signing on the dole, which is an increase of 89.6%.
This compares with an increase of 195,115 in the year to May. The standardised unemployment rate in June rose to 11.9% from 11.8% the previous month. June traditionally sees an increase in the numbers joining the dole as part-time teachers and other people employed in the education sector leave their jobs.

Opposition leaders accused the Taoiseach of misleading the Dáil about the figures.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said Mr Cowen departed from the norm by quoting the seasonally adjusted numbers rather than the actual figure. He said the real increase was 21,721 rather than 11,400.
Mr Kenny said the economy was in crisis and that the Department of Finance was in paralysis.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said the Taoiseach was quoting the more attractive figure. Mr Gilmore said the Taoiseach’s comments that the figure represented the slowest rate of increase this year was akin to saying the country is sinking, but sinking more slowly.

Replying to a question from Mr Gilmore, the Taoiseach said he expected the unemployment rate would be in the region of 15.5% by the end of the year and that it could be higher in 2010.

General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions David Begg described the latest unemployment figures as a ‘mega-crisis’ and has urged the Government to invest €1bn into a job creation and protection plan.

Irish economy has always been sitting somewhere in between the Europe and the US. The current unemployment rate in the European Union is 8.6%. The Euro area (Eurozone) is at 9.2%

The industry where more jobs have been filled than jobs lost in May was Telecoms.

So 9.4% in US, 8.6% in EU, and Ireland with well above with 11.8% unemployment. What is even more alarming that Unemployment figure in Ireland is steadily growing while EU growth has slowed down, and US has halved in May.

Euro area unemployment up to 9.2%
EU27 up to 8.6%
The euro area1 (EA16) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate2 was 9.2% in April 2009, compared with 8.9% in March3. It was 7.3% in April 2008. The EU271 unemployment rate was 8.6% in April 2009, compared with 8.4% in March3. It was 6.8% in April 2008. For the euro area this is the highest rate since September 1999, and for the EU27 since January 2006.
Eurostat estimates that 20.825 million men and women in the EU27, of which 14.579 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in April 2009. Compared with March, the number of persons unemployed increased by 556 000 in the EU27 and by 396 000 in the euro area. Compared with April 2008, unemployment went up by 4.653 million in the EU27 and by 3.100 million in the euro area.

These figures are published by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities.
Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in the Netherlands (3.0%) and Austria (4.2%), and the highest rates in Spain (18.1%), Latvia (17.4%) and Lithuania (16.8%).
Compared with a year ago, two Member States recorded a fall in their unemployment rate and twenty-five Member States an increase. The falls were observed in Romania (6.1% to 5.8% between the fourth quarters of 2007 and 2008) and Greece (7.9% to 7.8% between the fourth quarters of 2007 and 2008). The highest increases were registered in Lithuania (4.3% to 16.8%), Latvia (6.1% to 17.4%) and Estonia (3.7% to 13.9%).
Between April 2008 and April 2009, the unemployment rate for males rose from 6.6% to 8.9% in the euro area and from 6.3% to 8.6% in the EU27. The female unemployment rate increased from 8.2% to 9.4% in the euro area and from 7.3% to 8.5% in the EU27.
In April 2009, the youth unemployment rate (under-25s) was 18.5% in the euro area and 18.7% in the EU27. In April 2008 it was 14.7% in both zones. The lowest rate was observed in the Netherlands (6.0%), and the highest rates in Spain (36.2%) and Latvia (29.2% in the first quarter of 2009).
In April 2009, the unemployment rate was 8.9% in the USA. In Japan it was 4.8% in March 2009.

1.
The euro area (EA16) consists of Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland.
The EU27 includes Belgium (BE), Bulgaria (BG), the Czech Republic (CZ), Denmark (DK), Germany (DE), Estonia (EE), Ireland (IE), Greece (EL), Spain (ES), France (FR), Italy (IT), Cyprus (CY), Latvia (LV), Lithuania (LT), Luxembourg (LU), Hungary (HU), Malta (MT), the Netherlands (NL), Austria (AT), Poland (PL), Portugal (PT), Romania (RO), Slovenia (SI), Slovakia (SK), Finland (FI), Sweden (SE) and the United Kingdom (UK).
2.
Eurostat produces harmonised unemployment rates for individual EU Member States, the euro area and the EU. These unemployment rates are based on the definition recommended by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The measurement is based on a harmonised source, the European Union Labour Force Survey (LFS).
Based on the ILO definition, Eurostat defines unemployed persons as persons aged 15 to 74 who:
- are without work;
- are available to start work within the next two weeks;
- and have actively sought employment at some time during the previous four weeks.
The unemployment rate is the number of people unemployed as a percentage of the labour force. The labour force is the total number of people employed plus unemployed.
The numbers of unemployed and the monthly unemployment rates are estimates based on results of the LFS which is a continuous household survey carried out in Member States on the basis of agreed definitions. These results are interpolated/extrapolated to monthly data using national survey data and/or national monthly series on registered unemployment. The most recent figures are therefore provisional; results from the Labour Force Survey are available 90 days after the end of the reference period for most Member States.
Monthly unemployment and employment series are calculated first at the level of four categories for each Member State (males and females 15-24 years, males and females 25-74 years). These series are then seasonally adjusted and all the national and European aggregates are calculated.
Member States may publish other rates such as register based unemployment rates, or rates based on national Labour Force Surveys or corresponding surveys. These rates may vary from those published by Eurostat due to a different definition or methodological choices.
Current deviations from the definition of unemployment in the EU Labour Force Survey:
Spain, Italy, and United Kingdom: Unemployment is restricted to persons aged 16-74. In Spain and Italy the legal age limit for working is 16.
Netherlands: Persons without a job, who are available for work and looking for a job are only included in unemployment if they express that they would like to work.
3.
The March 2009 unemployment rate for the EU27 has been revised. The rate published in News Release 61/2009 of 30 April 2009 was 8.3%. For the euro area the rate remains unchanged. Among Member States, the rate has been revised by between 0.2 and 0.4 percentage points for Lithuania and Austria, and by more than 0.4 percentage points for Denmark, Estonia and Portugal. The revisions are primarily caused by the inclusion of the most recent EU Labour Force Survey data in the calculation process and updates to the seasonally adjusted series.
The following LFS data are used in the calculations of the monthly unemployment rates published in this News Release:
For Germany, Finland and Sweden up to and including April 2009.
For the Netherlands up to and including February-March-April 2009 (3-month rolling average).
For the United Kingdom up to and including January-February-March 2009 (3-month rolling average).
For Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Austria and Portugal up to and including 2009Q1.
For Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Greece, France, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and Slovakia up to and including 2008Q4.
4.
Greece, Italy and Romania: quarterly data for all series.
Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia: quarterly data for youth unemployment.
5.
Provisional data: the Swedish Labour Force Survey was amended in April 2005 to take further account of the EU harmonised methodology. This break in the series may affect the reliability of the seasonal adjustment.
Issued by: Eurostat Press Office

IKEA JOBS in Ireland – Careers in IKEA

If you want a job in Ikea get down to the Ballymun Civic Center between 10am and 5pm this weekend but expect competition for 280 jobs. It was reported that over 4,500 applicants for 50 supervisor jobs in the first Ikea superstore to open in the Republic in July. BUT if you are not in you can’t win. There will be certainly big interest in the recruitment drive BUT also the opening in July. The Dublin outlet will be 31,500 sq ft representing one of Ikea’s flagship stores and it will include a restaurant and a creche.

ESB create 3,700 GREEN JOBS in Ireland

3,700 new jobs have been created through the latest announced by the ESB of which 500 jobs will be offered to new recruits this year. The massive employment boost for thousands of workers was announced this week and is part of a €1bn a year investment in new green technologies.

Job loss in Dublin, Kerry, Limerick & Shannon

160 plus employees will lose jobs with recent closures and layoff at 5 firms

LIMERICK – Irish Dresden

Irish Dresden has stopped manufacturing with the loss of 15 jobs.

KERRY – BeoCare & Beru Electronics

The healthcare company BeoCare is expected to close and Beru Electronics is seeking redundancies. Expected loss is 40 jobs.

CLARE – Agilisys Contact Services

Agilisys Contact Services based in Shannon is transferring operations to UK. The company employs 71 staff.

DUBLIN – New Oceans Limited

The print & design company has closed with 36 jobs lost.

Need a CV?

Need interview preparation support?

Paul Mullan founder of Measurability has launched a new CV Writing Service website www.cvsolutions.ie and a new Interview Coaching website www.interviewsolutions.ie. Paul has over 15 years experience across Recruitment & Selection, Careers and Outplacement in UK and Ireland. He was a founder of Eden Recruitment Ltd in 1999 and founded Measurability (Career & Outplacement Experts) in early 2006. Since then he has developed Measurability to a leading practice working with individual and corporate clients nationwide.

For more information about CV Writing Service.

For More information about Interview Coaching Service OR Competency Based Interviews.

Both websites have free advice and tips for jobseekers.

CVsolutions will also include some free advice for jobseekers who want to go it alone and develop their own CV. You will find excellent CV Tips & Advice and Cover Letter Tips. There is expert opinion on CV Layout and CV Format. You will also find CV Examples and CV Samples.

Interviewsolutions will also be developed to offer free advice for jobseekers who want to prepare on a budget. There are many interview preparation tips, interview questions and interview answers. This information will help your interview skills and interview techniques.

This is a MUST ATTEND event on the 25th April 2009. Essential for those changing jobs or those out of work. Read more about the workshop, how to book a place and the experts running the workshop.

The job market in Ireland has changed dramatically. There are less jobs and increased competition for them. Job hunting requires a more dynamic approach to find success.

• Are you struggling to find suitable jobs?
• Are you struggling to get called for interview?
• Are you struggling to convert interviews into job offers?

This powerful workshop is led by two of Irelands leading “on the ground” Career Experts – Jane Downes of Clearview Coaching Group & Paul Mullan of Measurability. It will enable the opportunity to access expert opinion and advice in three key areas;

• Job Search Strategies – How to access the hidden job market.
• CV’s & Cover Letters – How to market yourself & get more interviews
• Essential Interviewing Skills – How to sell yourself & get more job offers

Workshop & Booking Details

Date: Sat 25th April 2009
Venue: Bewleys Hotel Dublin Airport
Address Baskin Lane Cloghran, Dublin
Workshops: 2 separate workshops – morning and afternoon
Time: 10.00 – 1.00pm & 2.00pm – 5.00pm
Cost: €120

Email paul@measurability.ie for more information or contact us

Work with two of Ireland’s leading Career Experts – Jane Downes of Clearview Coaching Group & Paul Mullan of Measurability.

SME’s employ a huge percentage of overall workers in Ireland but never quit hit the headlines. We read daily about the MNC’s letting staff go globally with a direct impact on jobs in Ireland – Recent news includes XEROX, SUN MICROSYSTEMS and more. But what about SME’s? We rarely read about them. Below is some worrying news about how exchange rates are crippling the SME sector in Ireland.

They are struggling but it seems that the weakening sterling is playing a big part in this. It is estimated that 95,000 jobs are at risk if sterling continues to weaken. 47% of SME’s export to the UK.

Jobs News keeping you up to date with all the latest Irish Jobs New. Read about some recent post including uncertainty at DELL. New jobs for GOA. Xerox chops 3,000 jobs globally

Jobseeker Advice – CV Writing Tips & Help, Cover Letters, Interview Tips Skills & Techniques and Interview Questions & Answers.

With all the focus on the large MNC’s we sometimes forget about the smaller fish – the SME’s. These companies make up a great part of the employment figures in Ireland thus combined play an important role in the employment landscape in Ireland. Worryingly 40% of SME’s have cut staff in the last 3 months with only 15% indicating that they employed new staff. This survey which talked to 400 companies highlights the difficult trading conditions for SME firms. So were are the big casualties – Construction Sector related companies, followed by Distribution Sector related companies and then Manufacturing Sector related companies.

This bad news though is not confined to Ireland as reports suggest that the dreaded “R” word is evident in 3 other regions across Europe – Italy, France and Germany.

We have been posting quite a bit on negative job announcements. Basically these have been the key stories over that last number of months. Well here is a bit of positive news!!

“Career Change Starts Here” is a Jobs and Careers Workshop which will be held in Dublin on 18th October. This workshop will provide essential advice and information for those of you seeking a career change or looking for a job. It is being run by Paul Mullan & Jane Downes. They are two Career Coaches who have come together to pilot this programme.

There are two parts to their workshop. Firstly it will explore career change and career direction. It will then outline an essential guide to achieving career goals looking and CV’s and job search strategies.

For more information on the workshop email info@measurability.ie. You can also read about the career coaches running the workshop – Career Coach Paul Mullan & Jane Downes.

I have been away for a few days and have returned to a full inbox. I have recieved quite a few emails from individuals recently displaced through redundancy. A common request for advice is around secure jobs or secure sectors. Up until this year I would have said Pharmaceutical but recent announcements like Pfizer, Biovail and others would indicate otherwise.

I try to educate clients that redundancy is here to stay. Lets put the poor enonomic conditions aside for a minute. Redunancy is very much a fact of modern working conditions. Changes in technology, shorter product life cycles, global resouce allocation and costs, manpower, changes in workforces and demographics are all contributing factors.

So is there such a thing as a safe haven? I would say no. Recent months have seen most sectors impacted by redundancy. This should not scare jobseekers but instead help change the key focus when jobhunting

Banking & Finance Jobs News

Reports out today indicate that Northern Rock is finalizing plans to make over 2000 staff redundant. These redundancy plans are due to be announced next week. It is expected that there will be a 3 month consultancy process after this with Unite. The bulk of these redundancies are expected to be in the North-East of England.

What is the future for the Banking & Finance sector?

This jobs news is not Irish Jobs News BUT does it send out any warnings to workers in the Banking and Finance sector in Ireland. There has been a cloud hanging over the sector for a good few months with the global recession biting and the turmoil on the global markets.

Funds Jobs in Ireland

All seems to be good in the sector according to the Irish Times. They released a four page pull out on Friday “Working in Funds”. With a front page header “A growing industry full of bright prospects.”

Below are some of the salaries available:

FUND SERVICES
Senior Fund Accounting Manager = 68-85k
Fund Administration Manager = 54-65k
Fund Accounting Supervisor = 46-54k
Senior Fund Accountant = 36-46k
Fund Accountant = 30-35k
Fund Administrator = 26-30k

If you want to find Fund Jobs in Ireland check out this post.

What do you believe when you read the papers. One report says that the Celtic Tiger has lost its roar and it is now only a whimper BUT the next page tells you that jobs prospects in Ireland are on the up. I am in a positive mood today so I want to believe the positive news.

It was announced that employers last month were prepared to employ more staff in the vital services sector. This said construction intended cutting more jobs as well as manufacturing (did I just say that – so much for positive).

There are big things expected from services sector and retail will maintain steady growth according to a FAS survey.

I guess this is a bit of the same from FAS. They really are not telling us anything new. The dog in the street knows the situation with construction and manufacturing. After recent stock market turmoil I would certainly not be so sure about the services sector – particularly financial.

Only back after our St Patrick’s Day celebrations to find out the the sky nearly fell down yesterday. While we were partying without a care in the world stock markets plunged following the news of the sale of US investment bank -Bear Stearns. The Irish stock market closed at its lowest level for 3 years with more than 3.5bn wiped of the value of stock. Banks took the biggest hits with Anglo Irish Bank falling 15%.

This latest news is further indication that the US recession could last longer than expected. This could mean severe problems for the Irish economy with slower growth and higher unemployment.

This crisis could mean lower mortgage repayments for Irish home owners as the ECB may be forced to interest levels BUT how will be pay this with no job or income.