News and Events

Quarterly National Household Survey, Quarter 1, 2006
Module on Childcare, Quarter 1, 2005

Employment increases by almost 90,000

The number of persons in employment grew by 89,800 or 4.7% in the year to reach 1,998,100 in the first quarter of 2006. This compares with an annual increase of 4.6% in the previous quarter and 3.9% in the first quarter of 2005. Persons in full-time employment were up by 73,400 and accounted for just over 82% of the overall annual change.
The labour force increased by 95,800 to 2,086,300 in the year to the first quarter of 2006. Demographic factors, such as the increase in the population of working age and changes in its age structure, added an estimated 64,000 to the labour force over the year. Net inward migration is estimated to have accounted for over 80% of this demographic increase.

These figures are taken from the latest Quarterly National Household Survey results, published today (31st May 2006). The main results are summarised below.

There were 88,200 persons unemployed in the first quarter of 2006, representing an increase of 6,100 in the year. The number of persons in short-term unemployment increased by 7,600 to 61,700 whereas the long-term unemployed fell by 1,600 to 26,200. When compared to last quarter the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.4%.

Average cost of childcare exceeds €120 per week

A module on Childcare was conducted in the fourth quarter of 2002 and repeated in the first quarter of 2005, the results provide updated data on childcare.

In the first quarter of 2005 the average cost of paid childcare was just over €120 per week. This represents an increase of over 23% in the 2 year period since the fourth quarter of 2002. The average cost of paid childcare, per child per hour, for pre-school children and primary school-going children was €4.15 and €5.68 respectively. This represents an increase of 27.3% and 20.1% respectively over the 2 years since the fourth quarter of 2002.

For further information contact:

Michael Quinlanon 021 453 5301 or Noel Ryan on 021 453 5491.
Fax 021 453 5492
E-mail labour@cso.ie

Central Statistics Office

31 May 2006

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