There has been a 14% reduction in the amount of Clare people signing on to the live register.
Figures from the Central Statistics Office show that the Live Register in Clare has fallen from 7,309 to 6,283 over the past twelve months. This represents a percentage decrease of 14.04 which is marginally ahead of the national average of 13.92 per cent. On a national level figures are below 300,000 for the first time since December 2008. For the first time in eight years more than two million individuals are working in the country.
Fine Gael TD Joe Carey believes the reduction is a sign of an improvement with the local economy. “I am acutely aware that it is not all good news and the loss of high quality jobs in long established companies like Roche in Clarecastle will have a profound effect on hundreds of local families. However, with the continuing expansion of the Shannon Free Zone, I am confident that we can provide good employment opportunities for future generations,” he said.
“Each new job created in Clare is another family looking forward to a brighter future. We will continue to prioritise job creation, because we believe that only a strong economy, supporting people at work, can pay for the services needed to improve people’s lives in Clare and around the country,” Deputy Carey concluded.