Have we reached the bottom?
The news that almost 20,000 people are now out of work in Donegal should come as no surprise. No surprise but still a shock when we reflect back on those days of the supposed Celtic Tiger which, reports would have had it, had the entire country basking in the glory and wealth of an economy that was the envy of most of the other European - even global-wide - nations.
But even during those boom years, this county was still feeling the effects of its geographical and infrastructural isolation - our textiles industry, once the apex of the manufacturing sector here, was starting to show signs of wear and tear as companies relocated to cheaper climes. It now lies in virtual tatters.
Other sectors have followed as the downturn catches hold - leaving our dole queues stretching ever longer. Latest figures show that a total of 19,061 are currently unemployed here - representing the highest level of out of work personnel outside the main city based centres of Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick.
Compare it with the statistics from May of last year and the picture doesn't get any brighter. There's an increase of 8,484 out of work in Donegal in that period, this time next year the anticipations aren't for any improvement.
When the Tiger prowled the country, it steered clear of the North-West even if the construction and development industry was given the necessary teeth to leave its mark. But job losses were still mounting up here and the creation of fresh employment backed outlets failed to materialise in the way they did in other counties.
That is why we here in Donegal have got to ensure that any chance of a recovery is grasped with both hands. As our lead story today suggests, the unending story of doom and gloom might be coming to an end with some signs that things have now bottomed out.
We need to have goods and services that are competitive. We need to give value for money to our tourists. And we need to ensure that wages - both in the private and public sectors are consistent with what we can afford.
If we can do these things we can get many of our existing shops, hotels, restaurants and service industries back working again. That would be a small but welcome start.
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Weather for Derry
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 14 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
