On April 10th, 2024 the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and the Shared Island Unit of the Department of An Taoiseach published “Gender and labour market inclusion on the island of Ireland”.
Amongst the key findings were “The policy systems differ in important respects including the longer duration of free pre-school provision in Ireland than in Northern Ireland, a greater degree of individualisation in the tax system in Northern Ireland compared to Ireland and differences in the generosity of welfare payments, especially for larger families. On the latter point, benefits for larger families are significantly lower in Northern Ireland; however, given the constraints that mothers with more children face, such as childcare, it is unlikely that this will greatly impact on work incentives. The differences between the educational qualifications of the working-age population in Ireland and Northern Ireland are an important driver of variation in employment patterns.” (px)
Amongst the policy implications they note that “The disadvantages faced by lone parents, both in accessing employment and in the conditions of employment, pose a significant challenge for policy. The emphasis on labour market activation in the welfare system is stronger in Northern Ireland, yet the participation rate is lower. This points to the persistence of barriers that go beyond welfare disincentives. Tackling low pay among lone parents is a key concern if they are not to be activated into in-work poverty.” (pxii-xiii)
In Issue 57 of the INOU’s e-bulletin, there was an article on the EaSI Lone Parents Digital Activation project which noted that “The overall progression rate for people who went through the EaSI activation model was 53% in comparison to an overall progression rate of 24% for people in the standard activation model.” This finding highlights the importance of having supports and services that are flexible and adapt to engage with people in the most meaningful way possible. The full article is available at https://www.inou.ie/analysis/e-bulletin/2023/12/08/easi-lone-parents-digital-activation-project/
In the introduction to the report the authors note that “The distribution of paid work and care, the types of jobs in which women and men are employed and the pay they receive are central determinants of broader gender inequalities in social status, wellbeing and poverty”. (p1) Earlier in the year the INOU received a post on our Facebook Page “do you have any advice for someone who doesn’t fall within the parameters for Jobseekers or any support for finding work. I was a stay at home parent for twenty years with children with extra needs. I have over fifteen years working experience and I’m a recent graduate from DCU. I’ve applied for over sixty jobs in the past year with no success. There is nothing wrong with me apart from my age. I went to INTREO to see if I could get support to go on a course but it seems I do not count. People like me don’t count in the unemployment figures either. INTREO directed me to some courses but I don’t have the money to pay for these and they are free to jobseekers.”
There is some provision available that is free to access, for example, Education and Training Boards full time courses, and Skillnet’s Skills Connect for those who want to return to the workplace including homemakers and individuals who fail to qualify for social welfare payments because of a spouse's income. The issues raised in the Facebook page query highlight the need for an inclusive public employment service that can appropriately assist anyone who seeking advice and guidance. Such an approach would be in keeping with Ireland's National Strategic Framework for Lifelong Guidance 2024-2030 which notes that “A lifelong-guidance system is a continuum of meaningful support that individuals can access at any time in their lives.” Further information is available on this Framework at https://www.inou.ie/analysis/e-bulletin/2024/02/27/national-strategic-framework-for-lifelong-guidance-20242030/
The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and the Shared Island Unit of the Department of An Taoiseach report “Gender and labour market inclusion on the island of Ireland” is available athttps://www.esri.ie/system/files/publications/RS176_0.pdf