‘Huge’ fall in unemployment in Louth area since ‘12

CSO figures released recently confirmed a ‘massive’ 28.96% drop in live register figures for the Louth area since the Action Plan for Jobs was launched in February 2012, according Louth Fine Gael TD Fergus O’Dowd. In February 2012, the Louth figure stood at 17,809 at that time and fell to 12,651 in June. The live register in Dundalk fell from 7,084 to 5,554 a drop of 1530 (21.6%), Ardee live register fell from 2,376 to 1,559 a drop of 817(34.39%) and Drogheda numbers fell from 8,349 to 5,538 a drop of 2,811(33.67%).

However, according to the latest figures from the CSO, the number on the live register in Dundalk was up 1.3% in July. This came after an increase of 3.7% in the numbers for June and 2.8% in May.

There were 5,626 people on the live register in Dundalk in July, up on the 5,554 in May. However, the number on the register is down 11.3% year-onyear from the 6,341 who were signed on in July 2015. Mr O’Dowd said: ‘We have seen these live register figures fall consistently throughout the county for the last four years but we still face many important questions. I believe the most vulnerable people within our society are still not feeling the recovery. ‘Most recently I have seen with disability respite services and psychiatric services that we need far more investment in these areas from the increased tax take we are seeing, and I will continue to campaign for these ‘ The recovery has taken hold within the county but a lot of work is still to be done in the immediate future, most notably if and when Brexit commences. ‘I will be meeting political and business representatives over the summer to study the real issues we will face as a border county over the next two to three years’.