6,700 full-time workers lost jobs in January

THE NEW year brought little respite to the jobs market with some 6,700 full-time workers made redundant in January – a 62 per cent increase on the December figures, according to official data released by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

A total of 6,699 full-time employees lost their jobs during the month – the equivalent of 319 job losses per working day.

While the figures were only marginally worse than the 6,566 redundancies in January 2009, job losses are now running at their highest level in seven months.

In line with the recent trend, men accounted for around two-thirds of the redundancies recorded by the department.

The fall in the workforce comes as exchequer figures posted yesterday showed a further fall in the income tax take.

Responding to the figures, the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association strongly criticised the Government for its “lack of ideas” in addressing an issue which they say threatens to delay potential growth in the economy,

Patricia Callan of the Small Firms Association said the redundancy figures show “a complete absence of a Government strategy” to save small businesses and jobs.

She said the Government had become complacent about jobs because of the apparent stabilisation of the Live Register. But the figures “clearly show that small businesses have continued to haemorrhage jobs into 2010”.

Pointing out that many of the costs facing businesses are controlled by Government she called on it to introduce measures to tackle the issue of cost-competitiveness. These include the reduction of energy costs by giving ESB and Bord Gáis dividends as rebates to business customers on their energy bills; instructing all local authorities to decrease commercial rates; and postponing the introduction of a carbon tax.

Retail Ireland, the Ibec group that represents the retail sector, said that declining sales mean employment prospects for the sector are a very serious concern. “Unless there is action in this area, as well as pay moderation, many more retail staff will join the 30,000 retailer employees who joined the Live Register in 2009, said Torlach Denihan.