Press Statement
23 August 2016
Chamber welcome job figures announcement
Commenting on the data released in today’s (23 August 2016) QNHS ( Quarterly National Household Survey), Allan Shine, Chief Executive of the Chamber said “Job creation must remain a political priority. As Government get set for Budget 2017, it is crucial that job creation is top of the agenda. There must be support for policies that encourage enterprise and entrepreneurship which in turn creates jobs locally. Our members believe that it is imperative that economic recovery and job creation remain at the forefront of this Government’s priorities and are reflected in policy. There are at present a number of challenges which pose serious risks to our recovery and which require immediate focus and investment. These issues include increasingly high business costs, skills mismatches in the economy which threaten to halt future employment growth, and insufficient infrastructure investment constraining our future growth.
“We welcome the continued reduction in the national unemployment figures, the 1% increase in employment during April – June 2016 brings Ireland’s level of employment to the highest level since Q4 2008. The growth in employment is a positive indicator for the strength of the Irish economy but also signals the need for Government to invest in the infrastructure necessary to support an increased workforce