This article is from page 15 of the 2011-02-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 15 JPG
WHEN IT comes to election issues for 2011 there is only one topic in town – jobs.
Almost four years ago the political landscape was so different when budding politicians went to the doors and canvassed the people.
Apart from it being summer time and the ground being relatively dry, the issues facing them revolved around services – the need for a proper hospital, smaller class sizes, better community services.
Now the first thing more than 10,200 people in Clare are looking for is a job.
They need a way to pay the bills that crept in with the Celtic Tiger and never left.
Homes where once two adults drew a wage are now without any, as companies close and staff are let go.
As of the end of December 10,619 people were signing on in Clare, 368 more than the previous month.
This in turn was an increase from 10,117 the previous month, and all indications suggest that number will be even higher for the first month of this year.
The figures represent more than a 70 per cent rise in unemployment in the county since August 2008.
The largest number of people signing on is in the county town of Ennis – with as many as 5,816 people on the live register.
North Clare has also been badly hit by unemployment with 1,708 people signing on in Ennistymon.
In Tulla there were 1, 578 names on the live register at the end of December, while Kilrush’s social welfare office had 1, 517 names on its books.
There are almost twice as many men signing on as women in the county 6,812 males to 3,807 females.
As many as 8,723 people over the age of 25 years old are now on the live register in Clare, again almost twice as many males as females.
In the under 25-age group – 1,230 young men are without jobs in the county, with 666 young women also signing on.
Emigration has also become a follow up issue, with many young people and families going as far as Canada to seek work.
This election will begin and end as homes foreclose, banks repossess cars and young families struggle to pay their every day bills.
Ironically our politicians will be queuing up looking for a job from many of the people are in the unemployment line.