Most workers expect to get old jobs back

WHILE the Coronavirus outbreak has devastated Ireland’s economy and shut down the country for two months, most laid-off workers are confident they will return to their old jobs once the crisis is over.

That’s according to the results of a survey by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

In Kerry, Pandemic Payment figures from the Department of Social Protection show that at least 21,800 people have been temporarily laid off during the crisis. There are likely to be many more as those figures only cover people entitled to the payment. The CSO survey was completed by 2,288 people in the first three weeks of April and showed that almost half (47 per cent) said their jobs had been affected by the lock-downs that have shuttered most of the economy here, with a third of those surveyed saying they had been temporarily laid off while 14 per cent had lost their jobs entirely.

The survey showed that more men than women were subject to temporary layoffs and that the 15-to-24 age group had been hardest hit with 46 per cent furloughed on a temporary basis and more than a fifth losing their jobs altogether.

Those results make for grim reading, but the survey shows there is still optimism among workers affected by the crisis.

Despite the widespread job losses and the risk that many companies in sectors of the economy such as restaurants, bars and tourism may not survive until the lockdown restrictions lift, almost all of those whose jobs had been affected said they expected to return to their employers.

“Ninety-four percent of the population aged 15 years and over whose employment situation was affected by COVID-19 in that they lost their employment, were temporarily laid off, are on paid leave or unpaid leave expect to return to the same job after the lifting of restrictions,” the survey said.

“A small percentage, five per cent, do not expect to return to the same job. In general, older people are more confident of returning to their job, but all age groups report high levels here,” the CSO said.