Jobless figure hits a new high
16,993 people now signing on in Kerry
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Wednesday March 10 2010
THE number of people signing on in Kerry continues to rise and last month neared 17,000 for the first time.
Latest Live Register Figures published by the Central Statistics office show the number of people signing on in Kerry rose by 75 in January to reach an all time high of 16,993.
This is an increase of 1,434 on the same period last year.
In recent months the rate of increase of Kerry's live registers had slowed dramatically dropping from an average increase of 1,000 a month in the second half of 2008 to between 200 and 300 a month in 2009.
However in January the figures soared upwards by almost 1,000 in the steepest month-on-month jump in the numbers signing on experienced in Kerry since February 2009.
The largest increase came in Killarney where the register increased by 66 to reach 3,066.
Listowel also saw its figures increase in February with 42 new names added to the register, which now stands at 3,108.
The picture in Tralee was better with the local register, which includes figures for Castleisland, dipping slightly, by 54, to stand at 6,538.
Increases were also recorded in Kenmare where the register reached 780, Killorglin which reached 1,391 and in Dingle which reached 864. The number of people on the Live Register in Cahersiveen rose by 16 to stand at 736.
Live register figures for the past 12 months in Kerry show a number of clear trends.
Firstly the majority of Kerry's unemployed appear to be located in the east and north Kerry areas.
Over half of those signing on in Kerry throughout the year were located in Tralee (which also incorporates Castleisland) and in Listowel. Of these areas, Tralee had the highest concentration of those signing on accounting for more than a third of all benefit seekers in Kerry over the last 12 months.
The figures for the past 12 months do contain some encouraging indications, though possibly only in the short term.
Last year the advent of the tourist season in April and May, predictably, coincided with a drop in the live register numbers which continued through the summer and right up until the start of October when figures spiked once more.
The effect was most pronounced in tourist destinations including Killarney, Dingle and Kenmare which experienced large drops in the number of people signing on the dole.
While the tourist industry has suffered in recent months it is likely that a similar tourist hiring surge will occur again this year which should be good news for many hundreds currently languishing on the dole queue.
CSO live register data is not designed to measure unemployment as it contains part time workers and people receiving other benefits however it does provide a useful monthly guide to the level of joblessness across the county.
- SIMON BROUDER sbrouder@kerryman.ie
