It’s certainly difficult to find work out there. I’ve had about 3-4 months work since September 2008. Educated to Masters level, stacks of really good experience, looks great on paper until they get to my age. Over 50. Nobody is interested. Well, they weren’t until last week. I start a new job soon…. on a third of the highest I have earned in the past 🙁
Now that’s competitive.
It’s not even a permanent job – just a fixed term so they can get shot of me at any time with no comeback. Employers are just loving the current situation. They have us over the proverbial barrel.
No choice though. It’s either that or default on the mortgage at the end of the month (and like a lot of the hidden unemployed out there, I don’t get any benefits of any kind… never have savings or do anything entrepreneurial like self-employment for a while if you think you might need to claim the dole one day as they don’t give it to you.).
Do policy makers at the national level even look at this kind of data?
When combined with your previous article on cities a the engines of future job growth, this is very useful, especially for those involved in economic development for metropolitan regions.
I still wonder how the many poor and drug or alcohol afflicted in the urban housing estates can be integrated into the economy.
Laura
,
“currently unemployed” – sorry to hear of your situation and its a vivid reminder, as a lot of the current “boom” in IT is contract roles which force you into self-employment whether you like it or not, as an alternative to having to pay an effective PRSI rate of 14.75%
Its all the more worse when you realise that every 1000 euro of savings over 20k are regarded as 1 euro per week in “income” – would love to know of a bank thay pays the 5.2% interest required for that to happen.
Interesting piece Ronan, but I think the “equality” angle is wrong. Many women either work in the home as unpaid homemakers, and as 75% of women have children, and a large percentage are either never married or separated, would have the option of the more flexible option of lone parent payments. Since most women from the majority who are mothgers will take some or all of their maternity entitlments and have at least 2 children this surely removes them from the workforce for a good bit of time?
It will be very interesting to see in a few years time, when payments for lone parents are reduced from 18 years to just 7, how many will transfer to the dole queue. It would also be interesting to know exactly what skill levels and experience exists in this community, as there is no real hard evidence collected to date.
Currently Unemployed ,
It’s certainly difficult to find work out there. I’ve had about 3-4 months work since September 2008. Educated to Masters level, stacks of really good experience, looks great on paper until they get to my age. Over 50. Nobody is interested. Well, they weren’t until last week. I start a new job soon…. on a third of the highest I have earned in the past 🙁
Now that’s competitive.
It’s not even a permanent job – just a fixed term so they can get shot of me at any time with no comeback. Employers are just loving the current situation. They have us over the proverbial barrel.
No choice though. It’s either that or default on the mortgage at the end of the month (and like a lot of the hidden unemployed out there, I don’t get any benefits of any kind… never have savings or do anything entrepreneurial like self-employment for a while if you think you might need to claim the dole one day as they don’t give it to you.).
Greg Canty ,
Great blog as always Ronan – well done.
I like your “man-cession” idea.
I will tweet it out.
Greg
david mc williams ,
Excellent analysis ronan,david
John Mack ,
Do policy makers at the national level even look at this kind of data?
When combined with your previous article on cities a the engines of future job growth, this is very useful, especially for those involved in economic development for metropolitan regions.
I still wonder how the many poor and drug or alcohol afflicted in the urban housing estates can be integrated into the economy.
Laura ,
“currently unemployed” – sorry to hear of your situation and its a vivid reminder, as a lot of the current “boom” in IT is contract roles which force you into self-employment whether you like it or not, as an alternative to having to pay an effective PRSI rate of 14.75%
Its all the more worse when you realise that every 1000 euro of savings over 20k are regarded as 1 euro per week in “income” – would love to know of a bank thay pays the 5.2% interest required for that to happen.
Interesting piece Ronan, but I think the “equality” angle is wrong. Many women either work in the home as unpaid homemakers, and as 75% of women have children, and a large percentage are either never married or separated, would have the option of the more flexible option of lone parent payments. Since most women from the majority who are mothgers will take some or all of their maternity entitlments and have at least 2 children this surely removes them from the workforce for a good bit of time?
It will be very interesting to see in a few years time, when payments for lone parents are reduced from 18 years to just 7, how many will transfer to the dole queue. It would also be interesting to know exactly what skill levels and experience exists in this community, as there is no real hard evidence collected to date.