Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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639. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to tackle youth unemployment rates. [7030/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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From the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government has been particularly concerned about the outcomes for younger people. We know that starting work in difficult economic conditions can have a scarring effect on a young person’s future work trajectory.  Many of the sectors which were most affected by the public health restrictions were those that tend to employ more young workers, such as the hospitality and retail sectors.

Thankfully there has been a strong exit from unemployment with returns to employment as the economy has re-opened in recent months.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the seasonally adjusted youth unemployment rate for 2019 averaged approximately 12.5 percent. At its peak in May 2020, the Covid-adjusted unemployment rate for people under the age of 25 was 70 percent. This has fallen substantially, to around 13 percent as of February 2022, or 12.6 percent according to the traditional seasonally adjusted measure.

There are, as of the week ending the 13^thof March, 21,362 people under the age of 25 in receipt of income supports. This is comprised of 4,809 PUP recipients and 16,553 people on the Live Register. This is equivalent to 10.2 percent of all PUP and Live Register recipients. This compares with the peak, November 22^nd, 2020, when under 25s made up 20.5 percent of all PUP and Live Register recipients, though, at this time, students were eligible for PUP support.

The significant decline in recipients is a consequence of the removal of public health restrictions and the well performing labour market. 

While there has been a welcome reduction in unemployment for young people, the Government has ensured that there are significant provisions to support young people who were adversely impacted by the pandemic, and those who were already experiencing disadvantage before the pandemic. 

In July 2021, the Government launched Pathways to Work 2021 – 2025, the national employment services strategy. The strategy aims to increase the capacity and effectiveness of Public Employment Services in a post-pandemic labour market and to support people transition into employment.

The Pathways to Work Strategy includes the following supports to help young people:

- Ring-fenced positions for young people on the Work Placement Experience Programme;

- Additional Community Employment and Tús places for young people;

- Providing 50,000 further education and training places;

- Increased places on the JobsPlus recruitment subsidy- with the subsidy being available, on an earlier basis than normal, to employers when they recruit young people.; and,

- Targeting 10,000 apprentice registrations per year by 2025.