 IRELAND: Social Protection Minister, Joan Burton has urged employers to make full use of the Government’s JobsPlus scheme.
Minister Burton also welcomed today’s seasonally adjusted live register figures for the month of January that showed a decrease for the 19th month in a row. She said that Ireland was making steady progress in reducing unemployment and getting people back to work, thanks to things like the Pathways to Work and Action Plan for Jobs strategies. “With the transformation of the department from the passive benefits provider of old to an active and engaged employment service, we are perfectly positioned to help employers find the recruits they need,” Minister Burton said. "The skills mix of people on the Register is extremely high, and I would urge employers to avail of our Intreo service, through which we can help them find the right recruits for their business,” she added. JobsPlus JobsPlus is a wage subsidy scheme that provides cash grants to employers who hire people who have been unemployed for over 12 months. The grant aims to help employers cover the cost of the new employee’s salary. "JobsPlus is a very generous and important scheme and I would urge employers to avail of it to expand their business”. According to the minister the scheme has helped to create 1,286 new full-time jobs since its launch just a few months ago. Employer supports The Department plans to host employer briefings around the country this year, to make companies more aware of the supports that are available to them. Payment Employers can avail of two levels of payment under the scheme. Either a payment of €7,500 over two years, for each person recruited who has been unemployed for between 12 - 24 months. Or €10,000 over two years for taking on new employees who has been unemployed for more than 24 months. CSO figures The figures released earlier today show the Live Register fell by 7% in January, compared with the same month last year. There are currently 399,630 on the Live Register, which is 29,766 fewer than in January 2013 and 39,959 fewer than in January 2012. The standardised unemployment rate stands at 12.3%, down from 13.9% in January 2013 and 15% in January 2012. The unemployment rate peaked at 15.1% in February 2012. Commenting to RTE News, Philip O’Sullivan, economist with Investec Ireland noted that although the news was seen as positive, emigration must also be taken into account when reading into such figures.
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