Local Fine Gael TD Deirdre Clune has highlighted the looming problem of long term unemployment as live register figures for Cork jumps by 2,000 in July.

Unemployment in Cork has jumped by over 2,000 in July to 44,498 in July’s Live Register figures (PDF 102KB). In Cork City those signing on the live register have gone over the 20,000 mark for the first time reaching 20,317. This is an increase of 8,979 on last July. In Carrigaline the number of people on the live register reached 2,471 in July 2009 compared to 1,163 in July 2008.

Brian Cowen and Mary Coughlan are presiding over the worst job implosion ever experienced in Ireland, with long-term unemployment now at critical levels. Nationally the live register reached 423,400 in July. That indicates that 520 people have lost their job every day since the Brian Cowen and Mary Coughlan took office.

Ireland now has a significant number of long-term unemployed, with more than 200,000 people on the dole for more than a year. Cork is not immune to this and faces a serious long term unemployment problem with a growing number of people on the live register for over a year. Long-term unemployment is much harder to tackle and unless this is addressed effectively, and addressed soon, we will have a serious long-term unemployment problem for years to come.

Fine Gael is the only Party to produce a costed and effective set of proposals to protect and create jobs. They include the NewERA measures to create 100,000 new jobs from investments in green energy, broadband and water, as well as proposals to protect 80,000 jobs in small & medium enterprises.