Manufacturing sector losing 500 jobs a month
More than 500 manufacturing jobs were lost every month over the last year, it emerged today.
Fine Gael Enterprise, Trade & Employment Spokesma Phil Hogan warned rising business costs were a key factor in the demise of almost 20,000 such posts since 1999.
“The Central Statistics Office has revealed that 6,100 manufacturing jobs were lost in the year to June, an average of 508 job losses per month and almost 20,000 jobs have been lost across the manufacturing sector since 1999,” he said.
“This disturbing trend confirms that the rising cost of doing business is driving jobs out of Ireland, and manufacturing costs have continued to increase dramatically throughout 2005.
“Ireland’s cost base is now totally out of line with its trading partners, posing a serious risk to the manufacturing sector.
“Recent high-profile job losses, such as the loss of 627 jobs in Donegal in August, show the damage being done by the Government’s policy of loading stealth taxes on to businesses while stimulating a high-cost environment.”
The total number of people employed in the industrial sector was 237,400 in June 2005, a decrease of 6,100 from June 2004, according to the CSO figures.
Mr Hogan said some of the more shocking findings from the CSO report were job losses in the hi-tech and chemical sectors since 2001, including 13,600 jobs lost in the manufacture of optical & electrical equipment.
“Outsourcing and the loss of jobs to cheaper overseas economies has to be addressed,” he said.
“Fine Gael is calling on the Government to implement a series of key measures to reverse the damage being done.”
Mr Hogan said all legislation should be “business-proofed” before being passed into law, a regulator should be appointed to control costs and open up sheltered sections of the economy, broadband should be accessible across the country and there should be greater support for indigenous industry.
“Enterprise Ireland’s recent decision to invest substantially in SWS in West Cork is a very welcome move,” he said.
“However, the Government must take action to limit its own role in driving up the cost of manufacturing in Ireland.”
