On November 9th, 2018 the Central Statistics Office published Labour Force Survey Households and Family Units Quarter 2 2012 – Quarter 2 2018. Amongst the statistics highlighted in this report was the number of people living in jobless households.
In Quarter 2 2012, the proportion of all persons aged between 0 and 59 living in jobless households stood at 17%. By Q2 2018 this figure had fallen by 6.8% to 10.2%. Looking at this figure from an age perspective: 20.1% of young people, aged 0-17 years, were living in jobless households in 2012. This figure had fallen to 11.8% Q2 2018. The comparative figures for people aged 18-59 years are lower: falling from 15.7% in Q2 2012 to 9.5% in Q2 2018.
The report notes that of the 2,388,800 adult members in family units, 1,552,600 were employed; 65, 400 were unemployed; and 770,800 were not in the Labour Force.
The employment rate measures the number of people employed in an age category divided by the population in that age category. In Q2 2018 the employment rate for people aged 15-64 was 68.5% 8.7% higher than the same quarter in 2012. Looking at these figures for different family units:
- The employment rate for the adult members of couples without children was 75.7% in 2018, 7.6% than in 2012.
- The employment rate for the adult members of couples with children was 78.5% in 2018, 10.6% higher than in 2012.
- The employment rate of lone parents was lower at 63.0% in Q2 2018, but 14.4% higher than in Q2 2012.
Looking at the unemployment rate, which is the number of people unemployed divided by the number of people in the Labour Force. In Q2 2018 the unemployment rate for people aged 15-74 was 6.0%, in Q2 2012 this figure stood at 15.9%. Looking at these figures for different family units:
- The unemployment rate for adult members of couples without children was 3.8%, down 5.6% on Q2 2012.
- The unemployment rate for adult members of couples with children was 3.6% in Q2 2018, down 8.8% on Q2 2012.
- The unemployment rate for lone parents was higher at 8.2% in Q2 2018, but down 12.6% on Q2 2012.
In Q2 2018, 65,400 adult members of all family units were unemployed: 121,000 fewer people than in the same period in 2012. Of this figure 38,100 people stated they were unemployed for less than a year in 2018. In 2012 this figure stood at 67,300. 24,700 people were unemployed for a year or more in Q2 2018. In Q2 2012 this figure stood at 117,800.
The participation rate measures the numbers of people in the labour force divided by the total population. In Q2 2018 the participation rates for all persons was 62.3%, only 0.4% higher than in the same quarter in 2012.
- The participation rate for adult members of couples without children was 52.2%, down 0.6% on Q2 2012.
- The participation rate for adult members of couples with children was 78.6% in Q2 2018, up 3.6% on Q2 2012.
- In Q2 2018 the participation rate for lone parents was higher than the couples without children but lower than the couples with children at 62.1%. In Q2 2012 this figure stood at 53.3%.
For further information please follow this link https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/er/lfshfu/lfshouseholdsandfamilyunitsq22018/