Unemployment rates for young men have dropped 6% year-on-year. according to new figures released by the CSO. Their Q1 report for 2017 shows unemployment among males aged 15-24 currently stands at 14.3%, compared to 20.3% for the same period last year.
Across sexes, youth unemployment has dropped to 13.2%, with 160,000 young people now in the workforce, in comparison to 146,700 after Q1 of 2016. The overall unemployment rate has also dropped, from 8.4% to 6.7%.
The increase in the amount of young men in the workforce is particularly striking given that just two years ago a quarter of all males aged 15-24 were without work. While the sector breakdown for the age group isn't given, one would imagine the overall increase in the male dominated construction sector - up +8.5% - would go a long way to explaining where the new jobs have come from. Although, with that being said, the information and communication sector actually had the largest upward turn, up 8.8% year-on-year.
Unemployment rates among young females have not dropped as dramatically but are still lower than their male counterparts, with 12% of females aged 15-24 currently unemployed; a drop of 0.6% from last year.
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Overall it's a great news to see more and more young people getting work, although there is still a good way to go if we are to get unemployment rates down to 2007/2008 levels, when they were last in the single figures.
