Emigration hits new high as foreign workers leave...
FOREIGN workers have been losing their jobs in droves and leaving the country -- resulting in the first net emigration since 1996.
Figures from the Central Statistics Office show that a quarter of all the jobs held by foreign workers disappeared in the 12 months to last April. Most of these belonged to workers from eastern Europe.
This job loss compared with a drop of 8pc in employment overall. This reduction, and a doubling of unemployment to more than 11pc, is the steepest decline in the labour market ever recorded.
It was driven by a loss of more than one in three of all building jobs -- where employment collapsed by 86,000 -- a 13pc fall in retail and wholesale, and a 9pc drop in industrial employment.
Analysts say the worst of the jobless rises may be over, with increasing emigration keeping down the total. They expect unemployment to peak at around 14pc next year -- better than earlier estimates of 17pc.
"These figures to April do not capture what seems to be faster emigration in recent months," said Rossa White, economist at Davy Stockbrokers.
Distance
"The pace of job losses is slowing, said Austin Hughes, chief economist at KBC Bank. "However, the likelihood is that we remain some significant distance from any prospect of a turnaround in employment prospects here or abroad."
Almost 14pc of the labour force -- more than 300,000 people -- described themselves as unemployed in April. The official figure of 260,000 is based on the strict international definition of working less than one hour in the previous week.
Employers group IBEC said the figures emphasise the acute need for further labour market supports. "We must in the first instance prevent job losses to the greatest extent possible. The scale of the €250m package announced over the summer is inadequate," IBEC economist Reetta Suonpera said.
CSO estimates say that 18,000 Irish-born people left the country in the 12 months to April, which is less than the number who departed in 2006. But 47,000 foreign-born people emigrated, while the numbers coming into the country fell from 84,000 in the previous 12 months to 57,000.
This left net emigration of 7,800 -- the first such outflow in 13 years but still small compared with past figures, especially where Irish citizens are concerned.
"We don't have a breakdown by nationality of the 70,600 who emigrated in 1989, but it is safe to say that emigration by Irish nationals is not yet running at anywhere near those levels," said Brian Devine, chief economist at NCB Stockbrokers.
Over a third of the Irish-born emigrants went to the UK, with a further 30pc going to Australia. Less than 4,000 went to the USA, and not all of them were Irish nationals. A similar number are believed to have gone to Canada.
An age breakdown of total emigration showed that 46pc were aged 25-44 and 40pc were 15-24.
The fact that only 1,200 children were recorded leaving suggests the emigrants were mostly single people.
Stephen McLarnon, who organises exhibitions on job prospects overseas, said many young people were trapped in negative equity on their homes and could not avail of opportunities abroad.
Report by BRENDAN KEENAN - Irish Independent
FOREIGN workers have been losing their jobs in droves and leaving the country -- resulting in the first net emigration since 1996.
Figures from the Central Statistics Office show that a quarter of all the jobs held by foreign workers disappeared in the 12 months to last April. Most of these belonged to workers from eastern Europe.
This job loss compared with a drop of 8pc in employment overall. This reduction, and a doubling of unemployment to more than 11pc, is the steepest decline in the labour market ever recorded.
It was driven by a loss of more than one in three of all building jobs -- where employment collapsed by 86,000 -- a 13pc fall in retail and wholesale, and a 9pc drop in industrial employment.
Analysts say the worst of the jobless rises may be over, with increasing emigration keeping down the total. They expect unemployment to peak at around 14pc next year -- better than earlier estimates of 17pc.
"These figures to April do not capture what seems to be faster emigration in recent months," said Rossa White, economist at Davy Stockbrokers.
Distance
"The pace of job losses is slowing, said Austin Hughes, chief economist at KBC Bank. "However, the likelihood is that we remain some significant distance from any prospect of a turnaround in employment prospects here or abroad."
Almost 14pc of the labour force -- more than 300,000 people -- described themselves as unemployed in April. The official figure of 260,000 is based on the strict international definition of working less than one hour in the previous week.
Employers group IBEC said the figures emphasise the acute need for further labour market supports. "We must in the first instance prevent job losses to the greatest extent possible. The scale of the €250m package announced over the summer is inadequate," IBEC economist Reetta Suonpera said.
CSO estimates say that 18,000 Irish-born people left the country in the 12 months to April, which is less than the number who departed in 2006. But 47,000 foreign-born people emigrated, while the numbers coming into the country fell from 84,000 in the previous 12 months to 57,000.
This left net emigration of 7,800 -- the first such outflow in 13 years but still small compared with past figures, especially where Irish citizens are concerned.
"We don't have a breakdown by nationality of the 70,600 who emigrated in 1989, but it is safe to say that emigration by Irish nationals is not yet running at anywhere near those levels," said Brian Devine, chief economist at NCB Stockbrokers.
Over a third of the Irish-born emigrants went to the UK, with a further 30pc going to Australia. Less than 4,000 went to the USA, and not all of them were Irish nationals. A similar number are believed to have gone to Canada.
An age breakdown of total emigration showed that 46pc were aged 25-44 and 40pc were 15-24.
The fact that only 1,200 children were recorded leaving suggests the emigrants were mostly single people.
Stephen McLarnon, who organises exhibitions on job prospects overseas, said many young people were trapped in negative equity on their homes and could not avail of opportunities abroad.
Report by BRENDAN KEENAN - Irish Independent