SDLP YOUTH: DISGRACEFUL EMPLOYMENT LEVELS DESTROYING THE NORTH

national | worker & community struggles and protests | press release

Sunday May 13, 2007 23:08

by SDLP Youth - SDLP

The newly restored Northern Ireland Assembly must immediately address the disgracefully low employment figures in the north, SDLP Youth Chairman Gary McKeown has said.

“Employment levels for the north as a whole are unacceptably low, but certain areas are faring particularly badly. People are being forced to abandon their hometowns and villages to look for decent employment. This is destroying many areas of the north with the brain drain taking skilled workers and young families out of these communities.

“This could spell disaster for cities such as Derry and Newry, and also for rural areas of the north, as young people are forced to leave for Belfast, Dublin or further a field. It is vital that the assembly addresses this issue immediately by providing funding for employment and training in the areas worst affected.

Mr. McKeown added: “A GMB trade union study published this month found that the employment level for people of working age in Northern Ireland is only 68.7%. This falls well behind figures for areas such as South East England where the rate is 79%.”

“Not only are these figures bad enough, but many of the worst employment levels are found in border areas such as Derry, Newry and Mourne, Omagh and Fermanagh. Strabane has an employment rate of only 50.6%. This bears out fears that people are being forced to relocate to find employment.”

Mr. McKeown concluded: “It is time that the north of Ireland, and in particular those areas outside of Greater Belfast, are given their fair share of jobs and investment. For too long it has been left to hard working people in these communities to keep the local economy alive- now the assembly must play its part in creating jobs in all areas of the north.”

ENDS