Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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158. To ask the Taoiseach when accurate figures reflecting actual jobless figures can be expected, including those persons on training, back to work schemes and other jobs initiatives; the percentage of the labour force available for work; and the percentage that is working more than 15 hours a week. [2655/14]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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A. The Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS), the official source of estimates of unemployment in the State, is available on a quarterly basis. The next results, Q4 2013, will be published towards the end of February 2014. The latest available results, Q3 2013, are already available on the CSO website.

Information regarding Activation Programmes, sourced directly from administrative files in the Department of Social Protection, are published on a monthly basis in the Annex of the Live Register release. The next results, covering December 2013, will be published in early February 2014. The latest available results, covering November 2013, are already available on the CSO website.

Table 1 Activation Programmes

1 This scheme was closed to new applications from 1st May 2009.

2 This scheme was introduced from 1st May 2009. It provides immediate support for someone in receipt of Jobseekers Benefit who wants to start a business.

3 Specific Skills Training/Local Training initiative/Traineeship/Return to Work.

Breakdown became available for April 2012 Live Register release.

4 VTOS figures are estimated at 5,000 each year.

5 BTEA figures include all schemes but participants from JA & JB are not entitled to BTEA during the summer holidays.

Includes MOMENTUM participants from February 2013.

Source: Department of Social Protection

B. The Labour Force comprises those persons who are classified as either Employed or Unemployed. Persons classified as Unemployed are those persons in any given reference week who were without work and who were available for work within the next two weeks, and who had taken specific steps in the preceding four weeks to find work. Therefore, the percentage of the labour force available for work will equate to the unemployment rate, as the unemployment rate is calculated as the percentage of the labour force that are unemployed and this data is shown Table 2 below.

Table 2 Unemployment rates (ILO) of persons aged 15 years and over Q3 2012 and 2013

Source: Quarterly National Household Survey, Central Statistics Office

In addition, persons who were without work who have indicated that they were available for work within the next two weeks but had not sought work in the preceding four weeks are not classified as being unemployed and are therefore not classified as being part of the labour force. Table 3 below, however, includes an additional indicator which shows the number of persons who are classified as part of this potential additional labour force as they are available for work but not seeking. The indicator is also presented as a percentage of the actual labour force.

Table 3 Persons aged 15 years and over in the labour force and persons not in the labour force available for work, Q3 2012 and 2013

Data may be subject to future revision.;

Data may be subject to sampling or other survey errors, which are greater in respect of smaller values or estimates of change.;

Reference period: q3=Jul-Sept;

Source: Quarterly National Household Survey, Central Statistics Office.

C. The percentage of persons aged 15 years and over in employment (ILO) whose usual hours of work are more than 15 hours in the week is shown in table 4 below.

Table 4 Persons aged 15 years and over in employment (ILO) classified by usual hours worked, Q3 2012 and 2013

Note: Persons for whom no usual hours of work are available are included in the 'variable' hours category.

Data may be subject to sampling or other survey errors, which are greater in respect of smaller values or estimates of change.;

Reference period: q3=Jul-Sept;

Source: Quarterly National Household Survey, Central Statistics Office.